Cross-Nursing in the Animal Kingdom
I just finished a book about the evolution of “cooperative reproduction” among humans. It seems that humans are among a minority of species in which biological mothers allow their offspring to be cared for by others–and in which those others are willing and able to step up to the plate. The book argues that this willingness to share care of our young has been both necessary to our survival as a species and a unique marker of human-ness. And yet, the book also looks at examples in the (non-human) animal kingdom in which mothers share care of young with other members of their groups.
This recent video from YouTube struck me as a particularly charming example of an impulse we humans share with other mammals (and according to the book, some birds and fish) however rarely it may be seen in other species.
It would be one thing for a recently post-partum mother cat to take on an extra kitten or two from another mother’s litter, but this feline mama has adopted puppies:
If cats and dogs can help each other out like this, surely human adoption and shared childcare is the most natural thing in the world.
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Tags: adoption, cats, cross-nursing, dogs, kittens, nursing, puppies, Shannon LC Cate, shared care
6 Comments
Shannon commented on Jun 25 09 at 6:11 pm“Mothers and Others” by Sarah Hrdy. Posted about it here in Feb. when the review came out in the NYT.
maeby commented on Jun 25 09 at 6:18 pmooohh i love it! such a cute video! and she needs to change the battery in her smoke detector
Shana commented on Jun 26 09 at 12:04 pmBut isn’t this common amoung many (not all) primates? I know meerkats definitely work together to raise the young, and I know crows are very family oriented (part of what made them so susceptible to West Nile years ago). And I know that male penguins will often adopt an egg together that a mother cannot care for. Either way, it is obvious why a species would benefit from seeing the good in community raising the young rather than going the route of say male lions (which can be unpleasent to watch)
Shannon LC Cate commented on Jun 26 09 at 12:37 pmMeerkats are one of her chief examples. She talks extensively about a number of primates that have different levels of cooperation. But there is no species–even the most cooperative, that are anything as cooperative as humans. It’s an awesome book. I totally, unreservedly recommend it.
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