Non-maternal infant care among nonhuman primates has frequently been investigated from the perspective of the caretaker. Here we examine whether allocaretaking behavior provides direct reproductive benefits to mothers. Comparative analyses that control for the effects of allometry and phylogeny reveal that allocaretaking behavior correlates with relatively fast infant growth and reproduction, but is not associated with the production of large infants. These results are consistent with those from studies of other taxa; primate helpers appear to increase the reproductive success of female breeders. In addition, our findings contrast with those derived from traditional allometric analyses and underscore the importance of controlling for the potentially confounding effects of phylogeny in comparative analyses.
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Similar content being viewed by others Explore related subjectsDiscover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning. Author information Authors and AffiliationsDepartment of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA Fax: 203-432-3669; e-mail: dwatts@minerva.cis.yale.edu, , , , , , US
John C. Mitani & David Watts
Received: 28 May 1996 / Accepted after revision: 16 November 1996
About this article Cite this articleMitani, J., Watts, D. The evolution of non-maternal caretaking among anthropoid primates: do helpers help?. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 40, 213–220 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002650050335
Issue Date: April 1997
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002650050335
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