Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011, Pisa, Calci, Italy.
Primates. 2023 Sep;64(5):475-481. doi: 10.1007/s10329-023-01075-8. Epub 2023 Jun 27.
Comparative thanatology includes the scientific study of death in non-human animals, which involves emotional, social, and exploratory responses of individuals and groups towards corpses. Stillborn babies and dead infants often elicit maternal and alloparental care that can persist for days, weeks, or even months, especially in primates. After this period, cannibalistic acts can occur not only by groupmates but also by the mother. Such cannibalism has been reported both in captive and wild primate groups, suggesting that the phenomenon is evolutionary adaptive. Here, we report a case in drills (Mandrillus leucophaeus), a largely unstudied monkey species. We collected data from the birth to the death of the infant on maternal and alloparental care towards the newborn across three phases: pre-mortem, post-mortem, and post-mortem cannibalism. The mother maintained high levels of grooming after the infant's death. Both the mother and other group members interacted with the dead baby by trying to engage its gaze. Two days after the death, the mother started to eat the corpse until it was almost completely consumed; there was no sharing with other group members. Although we cannot draw firm conclusions about potential benefits of the mother's behavior, this observation on drills adds a piece to the puzzle of thanatological behaviors and cannibalism in primates.
比较死亡学包括对非人类动物死亡的科学研究，涉及个体和群体对尸体的情感、社会和探索反应。死产婴儿和死亡婴儿经常会引起母亲和同种养育者的照顾，这种照顾可以持续数天、数周甚至数月，尤其是在灵长类动物中。在这段时间之后，不仅是同伴，甚至是母亲也可能会出现同类相食的行为。这种同类相食现象在圈养和野生灵长类群体中都有报道，表明这一现象是进化适应性的。在这里，我们报告了一个在钻（Mandrillus leucophaeus）中发生的案例，这是一种研究甚少的猴子物种。我们收集了从婴儿出生到死亡期间，母亲和同种养育者对新生儿的照顾，以及跨三个阶段（死亡前、死亡后和死后同类相食）的数据。母亲在婴儿死后仍保持高度的梳理行为。母亲和其他群体成员通过试图吸引婴儿的目光与死去的婴儿互动。在死亡两天后，母亲开始吃尸体，直到几乎完全吃掉；没有与其他群体成员分享。虽然我们不能对母亲行为的潜在好处得出确凿的结论，但在钻猴身上观察到的这种行为增加了对灵长类动物死亡行为和同类相食的认识拼图。
