Allomothering Flashcards
What is allomothering?
Care of an infant from a non-parent
Is allomothering more likely to occur in species with altricial or precocial young?
Altricial, because they are helpless
Give 3 direct benefits to the mother of allomothering.
- Decreased risk of predation
- Conservation of energy
- Can increase reproductive output
If a mother dies, is adoption of her infant more likely in a society with allomothering?
Yes
What is a benefit of allomothering for the infant?
It has an increased likelihood of survival
What is an indirect benefit of allomothering for the mother?
By ensuring her infant’s survival she ensures that her genes will be passed on to the next generation, non-altruistic
Why is allomothering beneficial to the group? Give 2 reasons.
- Disseminates maternal skills around the group, allowing younger females to gain mothering experience
- Shared affection for the infant enhances social cohesion
What percentage of mammals display allomothering?
3%
Which mammal group shows the highest rates of allomothering?
Primates
What does allomothering depend on, like many other traits in socioecology?
Food availability
What affects allomothering in primates? Give 3 factors?
- Seasonality
- Predation
- Competition
How would seasonality affect allomothering?
Seasonality decreases food availability, thus increasing intra-sexual competition between females. Therefore they are less likely to allomother.
How would competition affect allomothering?
If females are competing for food their priority is food intake, not looking after someone else’s baby.
Therefore allomothering should be more likely in groups with which kind of feeding competition?
Those that face scramble competition, i.e. folivores
What is the Grandmother Hypothesis?
Females live past reproductive age to help rear their grandoffspring
Reproduction is v. costly but helping kin to reproduce is less so
Their genes are still passed on to the next generation
Altruism? Natural or forced?
