Cortisol Levels Are Positively Associated With Pup-feeding Rates In Male Meerkats

Main Category: Veterinary
Article Date: 03 Dec 2005 - 10:00 PDT

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We investigated the biological basis of caring behaviour in wild groups of cooperatively breeding meerkats, a species in which adult 'helpers' provide care for the offspring of a dominant breeding pair.

Correlational and experimental data revealed that significant differences in individual rates of pup-feeding were related, in part, to increased levels of the hormone cortisol; two other hormones previously thought to influence rates of offspring care, prolactin and testosterone, had no effect.

Positive links between cooperative care and cortisol, a hormone primarily associated with physiological 'stress', suggest that small but significant increases in cortisol facilitate infant care by caregivers.

by Dr A Carlson, Professor M Manser, Dr AJ Young, Dr AF Russell, Dr LL Sharpe, Prof AS McNeilly and Professor T H Clutton-Brock (rspb.2005.3087)

Tim Watson
tim.watson@royalsoc.ac.uk
Royal Society
http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk

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