In&Sight — Publish Science Openly

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Barbary macaque moms have a curious behaviour: self-suckling 🍼 Dr. Hawks explores this rare phenomenon--possibly to regulate milk flow or cope after infant loss. Reasons are still hypothetical, but you can read more here: 🔗 lnkd.in/eCKNDyfv

1/10 🐒 Exciting new findings on primate behaviour! Observations of primates consuming their own breast milk are rare, but our recently peer reviewed article dives into this fascinating topic of self-suckling in Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) Summarized in this thread :)

10/ 10🗒️ Dive deeper into the study here 🔗: inandsight.science/journal/papers…

9/ 10🌍 Self-suckling behaviour may vary due to ecological factors, individual quirks, or differences between study sites. More research is definitely needed to understand this under-reported behaviour.

7/ 10 📊 Comparisons to other primates, like those re-ingesting semen post-masturbation, highlight potential stress or boredom in captivity as factors. However more research is needed to document breast milk auto-expression in captive settings.

6/10💡 Theories suggest self-suckling might alleviate discomfort from excess milk or maintain prolactin levels, aiding the immune system and milk flow. It's surprising this behaviour isn't more common given breast milk's high caloric content.

4/10 👩‍🔬 The research team, led by Dr. Hawks, observed these mothers briefly self-suckling to stimulate milk flow before switching their infants from one nipple to the other. Tragically, after their infants' deaths, these mothers self-suckled for longer periods.

5/ 10 -This behaviour is not unique to macaques. There’s a brief report of a wild chimpanzee mother self-suckling following her infant's death, suggesting a potential coping mechanism or physiological need. 🔗: brill.com/view/journals/…

3/10 🐵 Native to the Atlas Mountains in Algeria and Morocco, Barbary macaques, are the only species of macaque found outside Asia. These primates are known for their social complexity and strong maternal bonds. Males also often help care for young, a rare trait among primates.

2/10 🤔 Self-suckling has been documented in dairy goats but only rarely in primates. This study offers new insight. 🔗: bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.11…

(10/10)🔬 This study highlights the need for more research on male elephant sociality. Understanding these dynamics can improve the welfare of captive elephants and inform conservation strategies worldwide. 🔗 lnkd.in/eA7vsaws

(9/10)🧠 But why do mature males intervene? One theory suggests they police younger males' behaviours to mark social boundaries. Another idea is that they redirect aggression, a common trait in complex social animals.

(1/10)🌟The article on male Asian elephant sociality and the role of mature bulls in shaping young males' behaviours just passed peer review! 📃 – summarized in this thread 😊