Roberts R L, Jenkins K T, Lawler T, Wegner F H, Norcross J L, Bernhards D E, Newman J D
Unit on Developmental Neuroethology, Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH Animal Center, P.O. Box 529, Poolesville, MD 20837, USA.
Physiol Behav. 2001 Apr;72(5):713-20. doi: 10.1016/s0031-9384(01)00430-9.
Alloparental behavior (parental behavior directed to nondescendant young) is pervasive among human cultures but rare among other mammals. New World primates of the family Callitrichidae, including common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus jacchus), dwell in large families and many family members carry and/or provision infants. This study experimentally characterized alloparenting in common marmosets by measuring infant retrieval and carrying outside of the context of the family group. Prolactin was measured in samples collected before and after infant exposure to determine whether elevated prolactin levels were predictive of alloparental responsiveness. Seventeen nonbreeding, parentally inexperienced, singly or peer-housed common marmosets (10 females, 7 males, 6-66 months of age) were tested repeatedly in an infant retrieval paradigm. Infant retrieval was shown by 5 out of 17 monkeys (29%) in their first test. The rate of retrieval increased to 10 monkeys (59%) by the fourth test. No significant differences in age, sex, or housing condition existed between monkeys that retrieved infants and those not retrieving. Prolactin concentrations were significantly elevated in serum obtained after testing only in monkeys that retrieved infants. Prolactin levels after infant exposure were positively related to carrying duration. A separate experiment verified that neither prolactin nor cortisol was significantly elevated in response to prolonged handling. Cortisol levels were inversely proportional to handling time. Prolactin levels were not significantly related to handling time. Our results indicate that alloparental behavior is expressed at high rates after minimal infant experience, and prolactin levels rise concomitantly with the expression of alloparental behavior in this species.
异亲行为（针对非后代幼崽的亲代行为）在人类文化中普遍存在，但在其他哺乳动物中却很罕见。狨科的新大陆灵长类动物，包括普通狨猴（Callithrix jacchus jacchus），生活在大家庭中，许多家庭成员会照顾和/或哺育幼崽。本研究通过测量在家庭群体环境之外的幼崽找回和抱幼行为，对普通狨猴的异亲行为进行了实验性表征。在幼崽接触前后采集的样本中测量催乳素，以确定催乳素水平升高是否能预测异亲反应性。17只未繁殖、无育儿经验、单独饲养或同伴饲养的普通狨猴（10只雌性，7只雄性，6 - 66个月大）在幼崽找回范式中接受了多次测试。17只猴子中有5只（29%）在首次测试中表现出幼崽找回行为。到第四次测试时，找回率增加到10只猴子（59%）。找回幼崽的猴子和未找回幼崽的猴子在年龄、性别或饲养条件上没有显著差异。仅在找回幼崽的猴子测试后获得的血清中，催乳素浓度显著升高。幼崽接触后的催乳素水平与抱幼持续时间呈正相关。另一个实验证实，长时间处理并不会使催乳素或皮质醇显著升高。皮质醇水平与处理时间成反比。催乳素水平与处理时间没有显著关系。我们的结果表明，在极少的幼崽接触经验后，异亲行为就会以很高的频率表现出来，并且在该物种中，催乳素水平会随着异亲行为的表达而同步上升。
