Abstract
Cooperative care of the young by the father, older siblings, and unrelated group members is observed in a number of species, but inCallithrix jacchus parental care by the father is considered to be part of the reproductive behavior of the species. Nevertheless, the way the presence of potential helpers influences the costs of caring for the parents is not well understood. In this study we describe the suckling phase of youngC. jacchus, in families with and without older siblings, assessing the effect of siblings on the amount of care given by the father and mother. Six family groups were observed: three consisting of the mated pair and two newborn infants, and three with one or two additional sub-adult siblings. Our results suggest that the presence of older siblings as helpers affects the parents' participation in caregiving by altering maternal investment through the control of nursing and by reducing the costs of carrying for the father.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alberts, J. R. 1986. New views of parent-offspring relationships. In:Developmental Neuropsychobiology,Greenough,W. T.;Juraska,J. M. (eds.), Academic Press, New York, pp. 450–478.
Arruda, M. F.;Yamamoto, M. E.;Bueno, O. F. A. 1986. Interactions between parents and infants, and infant-father separation in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).Primates, 27: 215–228.
Box, H. O. 1977. Quantitative data on the carrying of young captive monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) by other members of their family groups.Primates, 18: 475–484.
Brown, K.;Mack, D. S. 1978. Food sharing among captiveLeontopithecus rosalia.Folia Primatol., 29: 268–290.
Cleveland, J.;Snowdon, C. T. 1984. Social development during the first twenty weeks in the cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus).Anim. Behav., 32: 432–444.
Grizzle, J. E.;Starmer, C. F.;Koch, G. G. 1969. Analysis of categorical data by linear models.Biometrics, 25: 489–504.
Hearn, J. P. 1978. The endocrinology of reproduction in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). In:The Biology and Conservation of the Callitrichidae.Kleiman, D. G. (ed.), Smith-sonian Inst. Press, Washington, pp. 163–171.
Hearn, J. P. 1983. The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). In:Reproduction in New World Monkeys,Hearn,J. P. (ed.), MIT Press, Lancaster, pp. 181–215.
Lee, P. C. 1987. Nutrition, fertility and maternal investment in primates.J. Zool., 213: 409–422.
Lefebvre, L. 1985. Parent-offspring sharing: a statistical test of the early weaning hypothesis.J. Human Evol., 14: 255–261.
Leutenegger, W. 1973. Maternal-fetal weight relationships in primates.Folia Primatol., 20: 280–293.
Leutenegger, W. 1980. Monogamy in callitrichids: a consequence of phyletic dwarfism?Int. J. Primatol., 1: 95–98.
Locke-Haydon, J.;Chalmers, N. R. 1983. The development of infant-caregiver relationships in captive common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).Int. J. Primatol., 411: 63–81.
Martin, P. 1984. The meaning of weaning.Anim. Behav., 32: 1257–1258.
McNeilly, A. S.;Abbott, D. H.;Lunn, S. F.;Chambers, P. C.;Hearn, J. P. 1981. Plasma prolactin concentrations during ovarian cycle and lactation and their relationship to return of fertility post partum in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).J. Reprod. Fertil., 62: 353–360.
Price, E. C. 1992. The benefits of helpers: effects of group and litter size on infant care in tamarins (Saguinus oedipus).Amer. J. Primatol., 26: 179–190.
Rozin, P.;Pelchat, M. L. 1988. Memories of mammaries: adaptations to weaning from milk.Prog. Psychobiol. Physiol. Psychol., 13: 1–29.
Terborgh, T.;Goldizien, A. W. 1985. On the mating system of the cooperatively breeding saddleback tamarin (Saguinus fuscicolis).Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol., 16: 293–299.
Trivers, R. L. 1974. Parent-offspring conflict.Amer. Zoologist, 14: 249–264.
Yamamoto, M. E. 1990. Ontogênese das relações sociais e dinâmica do cuidado com a prole no sagui comum (Callithrix jacchus). Ph.D. thesis, Univ. Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, São Paulo, Brazil. (in Portuguese)
Ximenes, M. F. F. M. 1991. Composição familiar e características da amamentação em grupos familiares do sagui comum,Callithrix jacchus. M.Sc. diss., Univ. Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil. (in Portuguese)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Ximenes, M.F.F.M., Sousa, M.B.C. Family composition and the characteristics of parental care during the nursing phase of captive common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Primates 37, 175–183 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02381405
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02381405