First-time macaque mothers bias milk composition in favor of sons

Katherine Hinde

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2007.09.029

First-time macaque mothers bias milk composition in favor of sons

Katherine Hinde

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

80 Scopus citations

Abstract

Mammalian females invest heavily in each of their offspring, but little is known about the magnitude and sources of variation in the most energetically expensive form of maternal investment; milk production [1-5]. Investment strategies may change as females mature because females often begin to reproduce before they have completed their own growth [5]. Milk production may also be an important mechanism for sex-biased investment [5,6]. Here, I present data from 106 rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) mothers which show that primiparous mothers produce richer milk for sons than daughters, above a general sex bias among all mothers. This difference seems to reflect the tradeoffs between the benefits derived from additional investment in sons and the costs of diverting energy from maternal growth and development.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	R958-R959
Journal	Current Biology
Volume	17
Issue number	22
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2007.09.029
State	Published - Nov 20 2007
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

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10.1016/j.cub.2007.09.029

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title = "First-time macaque mothers bias milk composition in favor of sons",

abstract = "Mammalian females invest heavily in each of their offspring, but little is known about the magnitude and sources of variation in the most energetically expensive form of maternal investment; milk production [1-5]. Investment strategies may change as females mature because females often begin to reproduce before they have completed their own growth [5]. Milk production may also be an important mechanism for sex-biased investment [5,6]. Here, I present data from 106 rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) mothers which show that primiparous mothers produce richer milk for sons than daughters, above a general sex bias among all mothers. This difference seems to reflect the tradeoffs between the benefits derived from additional investment in sons and the costs of diverting energy from maternal growth and development.",

author = "Katherine Hinde",

note = "Funding Information: I thank J.B. Silk, J.P. Capitanio, M. Power, and O.T. Oftedal for contributions to this study. I thank R. McElreath and M. Grote for statistical advice and S. Fisher for archival record retrieval. Lastly, I thank four anonymous reviewers for comments that improved the manuscript. Research funding was provided by a NSF DDIG 0525025 to K.H. and J.B.S., the American Society of Primatologists research grant to K.H., and NIH #RR00169 to J.P.C. and the CNPRC. ",

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AU - Hinde, Katherine

N1 - Funding Information: I thank J.B. Silk, J.P. Capitanio, M. Power, and O.T. Oftedal for contributions to this study. I thank R. McElreath and M. Grote for statistical advice and S. Fisher for archival record retrieval. Lastly, I thank four anonymous reviewers for comments that improved the manuscript. Research funding was provided by a NSF DDIG 0525025 to K.H. and J.B.S., the American Society of Primatologists research grant to K.H., and NIH #RR00169 to J.P.C. and the CNPRC.

PY - 2007/11/20

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N2 - Mammalian females invest heavily in each of their offspring, but little is known about the magnitude and sources of variation in the most energetically expensive form of maternal investment; milk production [1-5]. Investment strategies may change as females mature because females often begin to reproduce before they have completed their own growth [5]. Milk production may also be an important mechanism for sex-biased investment [5,6]. Here, I present data from 106 rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) mothers which show that primiparous mothers produce richer milk for sons than daughters, above a general sex bias among all mothers. This difference seems to reflect the tradeoffs between the benefits derived from additional investment in sons and the costs of diverting energy from maternal growth and development.

AB - Mammalian females invest heavily in each of their offspring, but little is known about the magnitude and sources of variation in the most energetically expensive form of maternal investment; milk production [1-5]. Investment strategies may change as females mature because females often begin to reproduce before they have completed their own growth [5]. Milk production may also be an important mechanism for sex-biased investment [5,6]. Here, I present data from 106 rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) mothers which show that primiparous mothers produce richer milk for sons than daughters, above a general sex bias among all mothers. This difference seems to reflect the tradeoffs between the benefits derived from additional investment in sons and the costs of diverting energy from maternal growth and development.

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VL - 17

SP - R958-R959

JO - Current Biology

JF - Current Biology

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ER -

First-time macaque mothers bias milk composition in favor of sons

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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