Presence of mother and unfamiliar female alters levels of testosterone,progesterone, cortisol,adrenocorticotropin, and behavior in maturing Guinea pigs

Although the guinea pig is characterized by precocial physical development and minimal active maternal care, studies suggest the presence of the mother can influence neuroendocrine and behavioral activity of offspring even well beyond weaning. Previous results may have been influenced by the procedure of housing weaned subjects with the mother to within 2 days of testing. The present study examined approximately 40-day-old guinea pigs housed apart from the mother for 0 (not rehoused), 2, or 10 days. Rehousing without the mother led to elevations in plasma testosterone (measured in males), progesterone (measured in females), cortisol, and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) (both measured in males and females). Offspring housed without the mother for 10 days had the highest progesterone, cortisol, and ACTH levels. Testosterone elevations were observed in 2-day-, but not 10-day-, rehoused animals. Regardless of rehousing condition, 60 min isolation in a novel test cage elevated progesterone, cortisol, and ACTH, and reduced testosterone. These effects were all moderated if the subject was tested with the mother or another female. Sexual behavior toward the mother was observed frequently, but only in males housed apart from her prior to testing. Overall, males and females that had been housed apart from the mother interacted with her as they would an unfamiliar female. Our results corroborate previous findings, suggest the effect of housing apart from the mother on male testosterone is transitory, and indicate that continuous housing with the mother past weaning suppresses circulating progesterone in females and cortisol and ACTH in both sexes.     

Trophic egg laying in the spider, Amaurobius ferox: mother-offspring interactions and functional value

Offspring of the spider Amaurobius ferox (Araneae, Amaurobiidae) were provided with trophic eggs of their mother the day after their emergence from the egg sac. This precisely timed egg laying followed after a series of mother-offspring interactions involving specific behaviors. Experiments showed that the trophic egg laying of the mother (providing she is in the appropriate reproductive condition) necessitated not only their presence, but also the stimulating behavior of the spiderlings. By stimulating their mother the spiderlings actually inhibited the normal maturation of the second generation of maternal eggs and prompted the release. Comparing to the trophic egg-deprived clutches, the clutches provided with the trophic eggs developed with higher body mass, earlier moulting and matriphagy. More offspring survived at the matriphagy with the mother normally provisioning the first clutch with trophic eggs rather than with the mother that did not produced the trophic eggs for her first clutch but for her second clutch. By turning her potential second generation into food, the mother increases her reproductive success.     

Fatality of a wild Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus morio): behavior and death of a wounded juvenile in Danum Valley, North Borneo

Reports of wild great ape fatalities have been very limited, and only two have described wild orangutan deaths. We found a wounded juvenile female Bornean orangutan on 7 October 2006 in the Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia, and observed the individual's behavior for 7 days until her death on 13 October 2006. The 5-6-year-old orangutan, which we had observed since 2004, was wounded in the left brachium, back, and right hand. The individual's behavior changed after injury; the mean nest-nest active time became significantly shorter than before injury (from 12 h 3 min to 9 h 33 min), the mean waking time became significantly later (0552-0629 hours) and the mean bedtime became significantly earlier (from 1747 to 1603 hours). In the activity budget, resting increased significantly from 28.0 to 53.3%. Traveling and feeding decreased significantly from 23.5 to 12.7% and from 45.6 to 32.8%, respectively. The rate of brachiation during traveling and nest making decreased, whereas ground activity increased from 0 to 9%. We observed one vomiting incident and four occurrences of watery diarrhea during the 7 days before the individual died. The results of an autopsy performed by a local veterinarian suggested that the cause of death was septicemia because of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection of the severely contaminated wounds. The morphology and distribution of the wounds suggested they had been incurred during an attack by a large animal with fangs and/or claws. This juvenile female became independent of its mother at ~4-5 years of age, slightly earlier than average. This individual might have been vulnerable to predatory attack because of her small body size (~5 kg at death) and lack of the mother's protection.     

Pregnancy, microchimerism, and the maternal grandmother

Background

A woman of reproductive age often harbors a small number of foreign cells, referred to as microchimerism: a preexisting population of cells acquired during fetal life from her own mother, and newly acquired populations from her pregnancies. An intriguing question is whether the population of cells from her own mother can influence either maternal health during pregnancy and/or the next generation (grandchildren).

Methodology/Principal Findings

Microchimerism from a woman''s (i.e. proband''s) own mother (mother-of-the-proband, MP) was studied in peripheral blood samples from women followed longitudinally during pregnancy who were confirmed to have uncomplicated obstetric outcomes. Women with preeclampsia were studied at the time of diagnosis and comparison made to women with healthy pregnancies matched for parity and gestational age. Participants and family members were HLA-genotyped for DRB1, DQA1, and DQB1 loci. An HLA polymorphism unique to the woman''s mother was identified, and a panel of HLA-specific quantitative PCR assays was employed to identify and quantify microchimerism. Microchimerism from the MP was identified during normal, uncomplicated pregnancy, with a peak concentration in the third trimester. The likelihood of detection increased with advancing gestational age. For each advancing trimester, there was a 12.7-fold increase in the probability of detecting microchimerism relative to the prior trimester, 95% confidence intervals 3.2, 50.3, p<0.001. None of the women with preeclampsia, compared with 30% of matched healthy women, had microchimerism (p = 0.03).

Conclusions/Significance

These results show that microchimerism from a woman''s own mother is detectable in normal pregnancy and diminished in preeclampsia, supporting the previously unexplored hypothesis that MP microchimerism may be a marker reflecting healthy maternal adaptation to pregnancy.     

Adoption in free-ranging red howler monkeys,Alouatta seniculus of Venezuela

This report describes three cases of infant adoption in red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) of Venezuela. In one case, a lactating female adopted her infant granddaughter after the infant's mother disappeared and the infant survived for the next 25 months. In the second case, an adult female adopted her infant granddaughter for nine days while the infant's mother was still a group member. In the third case, a nulliparous female temporarily adopted an infant from a neighboring group. The details and the possible reasons for these adoption are described.     

Maternal strategies in sable antelope,Hippotragus niger: Factors affecting variability in maternal retrieval of hiding calves

Maternal behavior of wild ungulates has long been considered relatively invariant, yet recent reports from both wild and captive populations indicate considerable variability. Maternal behavioral tactics associated with the “hider” developmental strategy were investigated in six mother-infant pairs of sable antelope, Hippotragus niger, at the National Zoological Park's Conservation and Research Center near Front Royal, Virginia. When a calf moved away from its mother to hide, the mother tended to be 10 or more body lengths away and facing away from the calf. The presence of maternal vocalizations and the mother's ability to orient to the calf's resting site prior to calf activity periods were dependent on the age of the calf and whether the calf was lying alone or with other calves. The presence of maternal vocalizations and the ability of a mother to orient toward her calf were negatively related, with the mother vocalizing only when her calf could not be located visually. Variability in maternal behavior when searching for hidden calves was best explained by differences in calf conspicuousness. A mother apparently remembered only the general area in which her calf was lying, and not the precise location. Comparison of this study with previous studies of captive sable antelope suggests that mother-infant interactions are strongly influenced by enclosure size and the availability of tall vegetation; therefore, behaviors of individuals observed in small captive enclosures lacking tall vegetation may not be representative of those in the wild. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Observation of a wild Japanese macaque mother pacifying her distressed infant with an acorn

This is the first report on an observation of food transfer by a mother to her offspring in wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui). On November 6, 1996, an adult female wild Japanese macaque stopped grooming her 1.5–1.6 yr old daughter in order to be groomed by a young male. Her daughter protested loudly for about 1 min. In response to her daughter's protest, the mother picked up a mature nut ofQuercus phillyraeoides that was lying near her right hand, and placed it in the daughter's mouth. The daughter's cries were immediately muffled and she silently ate the acorn's contents, and spat out the pericarp. We inferred that the daughter wanted to be groomed by her mother, not to receive food. This reported example of treatment resembling tool using behavior in response to an emotional outcry was precipitated by mother-offspring conflict in the natural habitat.     

The quantitative analysis of polymorphism on human chromosomes 1, 9, 16, and Y

Summary A paracentric inversion of chromosome 5 was detected after RHG banding in a subject affected by Klinefelter's syndrome. The inversion was also observed in the patient's mother, and was confirmed by QFQ-and RBA-banding techniques.A second paracentric inversion affecting chromosome 7 was detected in a woman with Turner's syndrome. The same structural anomaly was found in her father and her half-brother.The possible relationship between sex chromosome nondisjunction and paracentric inversion is discussed.Furthermore, the inversion of chromosome 7 reproduces exactly the chromosome 7 of the gorilla, which is presumed to be ancestral to the human 7. This therefore appears to be the first reported case of reverse chromosomal mutation.     

Allomaternal care: helper-assisted birth in the Rodrigues fruit bat, Pteropus rodricensis (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae)

We report observations of allomaternal care, or epimeletic (care-giving) behaviour, exhibited by one female toward another, before, during, and after giving birth, in the Rodrigues fruit bat, Pteropus rodricensis (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae). Interactions between the expectant mother and other roost mates, from the onset to completion of birth, were observed continuously over a period of approximately three hours. The attending female assisted the mother when she: (I) intermittently groomed her anovaginal region; (2) grasped her with partially outstretched wings; (3) 'tutored' her in a feet-down birthing posture; (4) groomed the emerging pup; and (5) physically assisted the mother by manoeuvring the pup into a suckling position. This is the first report of extensive assistance given by a female bat to another during parturition. We suggest that epimeletic behaviour may be common in the highly social Chiroptera, especially among primiparous or inexperienced females and/or when an expectant mother experiences difficulty during labour and parturition. Our observations support the hypothesis that roosting associations in bats may be as important as relatedness in explaining the occurrence of apparently altruistic acts.     

Science stories: flies, planes, worms, and lasers

"Tell a story," my mother instructs her graduate students as they prepare their talks. I will make use of her advice here, and will tell several short stories. The themes revolve around the practice of science-what motivates us to go into science and how we choose questions once we get there. I also touch on progress in scientific tools, teaching, good mentors, and good colleagues, all of which contribute to making a career in science constantly compelling.     

Observation of a birth among wild toque macaques (Macaca sinica)

Most toque macaques give birth to their infants during the night when resting arboreally. Here we report on a birth that occurred in daytime (at 0916 hr) and on the ground. The mother was 7.6 years old; the birth was her second. Prepartum behaviors included lordosis, arching of the back, stretching, squatting, rolling on the ground, and anogenital self-examination. During the birth the female was isolated about 100 m from the rest of her group. The mother stood bipedally during parturition and assisted delivery with her hands. The infant was born within 2 min after first appearing at the vulva. It immediately clung to the mother’s leg and vocalized. The mother licked the infant and oriented it toward her ventrum. She resumed foraging behavior within 20 min after parturition. The infant nursed for the first time 2.25 hr after being born. The mother ate part of the placenta, but the alpha female of the group usurped and also ate a portion of it. Curious group members sniffed and looked at the infant but did not touch it.     

The costs of human locomotion: Maternal investment in child transport

This article investigates maternal investment in child carrying and presents a method for determining when it is energetically advantageous for a mother to carry her child rather than force her child to walk independently. I calculate maternal and child energy consumption while walking and develop correction factors to facilitate making these energy calculations for young children. In addition, I investigate the effect of maternal burdens in addition to the child and of external nutritional support on energy consumption. Since maternal energy is a finite resource, the “decision” to carry a child or force it to walk independently is especially important. This decision can be predicted from the body mass of the mother and child and the child's age. If the mother provides all of the child's nutrition, then the mother should choose to carry her child only when the energy usage of the mother carrying the child is less than the sum of the energy used when the mother and child walk independently. The critical velocity, when the two expenditures are equal, can then be determined. Several general hypotheses are also addressed. The critical velocity of a 60 kg mother with a 4-year-old child approximately equals the average walking speed of adult humans. For a lighter mother, the critical velocity is reached when her child is 3 years old, while for heavier mother this point is not reached until her child is 6 years old. The effect of burdens in addition to the child's mass is minimal. Nutritional support of the child by agencies other than the mother decreases the age at which the mother should force the child to walk independently. In some cases, especially for the lightest mothers, it is never in the mother's best energetic interest to carry her child. Am J Phys Anthropol 107:71–85, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Molecular, immunological, enzymatic and biochemical studies of coproporphyrinogen oxidase deficiency in a family with hereditary coproporphyria.

A 27-year-old woman who had recurrent pain in renal bed since 1998 with increasing character, was stationary admitted. The patient showed dark urine, complained of hair loss and took since 1994 a hormonal oral contraceptive. No photosensitivity was observed. Determinations of urinary porphyrin metabolites in 1998 revealed a porphyria cutanea tarda like excretion pattern with elevations of uro- (1767 nmol/24 hr, normal <29 nmol/24 hr) and heptacarboxyporphyrin (568 nmol/24 hr; normal <4 nmol/24 hr). Follow-up studies in feces showed the characteristics of a hereditary coproporphyria with dominance of coproporphyrin isomer III (total= 1470 nmol/g, isomer III= 93%), (normal: <37 nmol/g, isomer III = 25-35%). The excretion of porphyrin precursors (delta-aminolevulinic acid and porphobilinogen) was increased by taking an ethinylestradiol-cyproteronacetate-preparation, but acute and/or chronic manifestations were not observed. Coproporphyrinogen oxidase activity was decreased to 35% in the patient (normal=138+/-21 pkat/g protein; x+/-s), whereas the activity of red cell uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase was normal. Her mother and both sisters could be verified as heterozygous gene carriers of hereditary coproporphyria by their urinary and fecal excretion parameters and because of reduced coproporphyrinogen oxidase activity up to 50%. The father was normal with respect to his genotype. Molecular analysis revealed a hitherto unknown mutation with the transversion of a cytosine to thymine at nucleotide position 854 in exon 4 of the coproporphyrinogen oxidase gene. The gene defect was confirmed by DGGE in the mother and her three daughters. The investigation of the immunological nature of the defective coproporphyrinogen oxidase gene from the whole family revealed decreased concentrations of coproporphyrinogen oxidase protein in the patient, her mother and her two sisters.     

Infant abuse associated with psychosocial stress in a group-living pigtail macaque ( Macaca nemestrina) Mother

This study reports a case of infant abuse by a pigtail macaque mother living in a captive social group. Patterns of abusive behavior appeared three weeks after the birth of the infant and were in strict temporal as sociation with the repeated kidnapping and severe harassment of the infant by the alpha-female in the group. Before and after the period of social stress, the mother exhibited proper caregiving behavior towards her infant. The analysis of the abusive mother's style of interaction with her infant relative to three control mothers indicated that she was an extremely permissive mother. It is argued that the mother's failure to adapt her mothering style to better protect her infant during the period of repeated kidnappings and the resulting lack of control over the situation may be the mechanism by which stress precipitated infant abuse. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

The dynamics of parent-offspring relationships in mammals

Evolutionary theories about parent-offspring relationships have predicted that young will aggressively demand food and care from their parents at the time of weaning - when the parents should, in their own interests, reserve their efforts for future offspring. Detailed studies of the behavioural development of mammals have given only limited support for these expectations. Often the mother is more amenable to the needs of her offspring than evolutionary theory predicts, and often offspring are sensitive to the state of their mother, tuning the pattern of their own development accordingly. Such aggression as is seen between mother and offspring tends to occur at stages other than weaning. The mismatch between theory and evidence may arise because a mother needs to monitor her offspring's state as well as her own and respond appropriately in order to maximize her own reproductive success. Similarly, an offspring needs to monitor its mother and prepare for the world in which it will grow up, in order to maximize its chances of surviving to breed.     

Mating season effects on mother-infant conflict in Japanese macaques,Macaca fuscata

The impact of seasonal mating on the mother-infant relationship during the first year of the infant's life was documented in a confined troop of Japanese macaques. During the weeks in which the mothers were being mounted, negative behaviour directed towards the infants increased. As maternal rejections and punishments escalated, the infants displayed regressive behaviour (showing signs of distress more frequently). Infants also groomed their mothers at an increased rate at this time. Behaviour that indicated increased independence did not show increases during this time. Moreover, behaviour negatively associated with independence, such as ventral contact and proximity to the mother, remained stable throughout this time period. The mother-infant relationship undergoes a period of conflict during the mating season not because the mother is weaning her infant, but because it is to her reproductive advantage to regulate the times in which the infant is allowed to suckle.     

Partial trisomy 11,46,XX,-3,-20,+der3,+der20,t(3:11:20), resulting from a complex maternal rearrangement of chromosomes 3, 11, 20

Summary Clinical findings of partial trisomy 11p are described in a patient bearing t(3;11;20) (p13;p11;q13). The translocation was present in balanced form in her mother (46,XX)t(3;11;20)(p13;p11;q13).     

Infanticide in chimpanzees: Review of cases and a new within-group observation from the Kanyawara study group in Kibale National Park

A prolonged attack on a mother and 2-year-old infant that resulted in the death of the infant was observed in the Kanyawara study group in Kibale National Park. The mother was a border-area resident who was first observed associating with unit-group males six years previously. The attackers were an adult male and an adult female with a 6-week-old infant clinging ventrally to her. The attack was unusual in several respects: it is the first time a male and a female chimpanzee have been observed cooperating closely in an infanticidal attack; the adult female initially attempted to intervene in the victim's behalf, but later joined in the attack after receiving aggression from the male; and the episode was longer in duration than other reported cases. In the year following the incident, the mother did not increase her association with community males, but was seen with the male who killed her infant. The relevance of these observations to sexual selection-based explanations for infanticide in chimpanzees is discussed.     

A unique, predominant hepatitis C virus variant found in an infant born to a mother with multiple variants.

To demonstrate vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) from an HCV-infected, non-human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected mother to her infant and to assess the distribution of viral species in the mother and infant, the hypervariable region of the gene encoding the putative envelope glycoprotein E2 (E2HV) was sequenced in three mothers and one mother-infant pair. The data indicate that (i) quasi-species distributions of HCV E2HV variants were found in all four mothers, (ii) a single predominant HCV E2HV variant was found in the infant of a mother shown to have nine predominant E2HV variants, and (iii) the infant's E2HV variant was highly related to, but not identical with, the nine variants identified in the mother at the time of birth. These findings indicate that HCV is transmitted from mother to infant and raise the possibility that the transmission occurs in utero.