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History
[edit]The word alloparenting was termed in 1975 [1] and translates to "other-parent" based on the Greek root "allo", meaning other, and the Latin root "parens", meaning parent. In biology, sociology, and biological anthropology, alloparenting is a system of parenting in which individuals other than the parents act in a parental role. Although allopareting may seem altruistic on the surface, there are typically other motives that are motivating the alloparent into caring for another organisms offspring instead of their own. If the alloparent is related to the offspring they are caring for this could be due to kin selection and the want for their genetic information to be passed on to the next generation. In biology, "Cooperatively breeding vertebrate systems are characterized by individual ‘helpers’ that take care of young ones within the social group that are not their own offspring — a behaviour termed ‘alloparental care’." [2]
Benefits to Alloparenting
[edit]Allopareting not only benefits the mothers and young but it also benefits the group through increased reproductive success and the close relationships associated with alloparenting and caretaking have been seen to enhance the stability of the family, heard, or community over time. [3] Mothers are also able to conserve energy, travel further away from nesting grounds to forage for food/ supplies, maintain social interactions, and better protect their offspring from predators. The offspring that experience alloparental care benefit from increased protection from predators, development of social cues, and learning group dynamics through social interactions. The alloparent, which is defined as any group member other than the mother or genetic father but typically female juveniles, benefit from alloparental care because they are given the oppurtunity to gain mothering skills before they have reached reproductive age [4]
Alloparenting in nature
[edit]Alloparenting behavior has been observed in 120 mammal and 150 avian species. [5] Repoductive and social features are contributors to fostering and alloparental behavior most typical in K-adapted species who are influenced by one or more or these reproductive and social features: producing a single offspring, long and energetically demanding parental investment, limited repoductive range, small groups with tight kinship bonds, highly social and cooperative group structure, and young raised in high density breeding colonies.[5] In mammals, care typically encompasses allolactation, pup-feeding, babysitting and carrying young."[6] An example is when male Barbary macaques carry around unrelated infants and care for them for hours at a time.[2] Another example is when warthog sows suckle piglets from other litters after the sows have lost their own litters.[7] In some fishes such as redlip blennies, males perform alloparental care.[8]
Alloparenting in Humans
[edit]One common form of alloparenting is a situation in which grandparents adopt a parental role. This is sometimes named a "skipped generation household". In 1997, 8% of children in the United States lived with their grandparents, with the grandparents being the caregivers in one third of those cases.[2] According to Deihl,[9] the Efé people of Ituri Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo practice alloparenting, with care for infants coming from siblings, grandparents, and older members of the community. Deihl states that where siblings are alloparents this provides adolescents experience of being a parent, and that similar practice in the United States would reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy and make teenage parents "better parent[s] when they do become parents."
References
[edit]- ^ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alloparent
- ^ a b c "Alloparenting". unt.edu. Texas Registry of Parent Educator Resources; University of North Texas. Retrieved 2005-12-28.
- ^ Lee, P. C. "Allomothering among African Elephants." Animal Behaviour, vol. 35, no. 1, 1987, pp. 278-291
- ^ Stanford, Craig B. "Costs and Benefits of Allomothering in Wild Capped Langurs (Presbytis Pileata)." Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, vol. 30, no. 1, 1992, pp. 29-34
- ^ a b Riedman, Marianne L. "The Evolution of Alloparental Care and Adoption in Mammals and BIrds." The Quarterly Review of Biology 1982. 57:4, 405-435.
- ^ Briga, M.; Pen, I.; Wright, J. (2012). "Care for kin: Within-group relatedness and allomaternal care are positively correlated and conserved throughout the mammalian phylogeny". Biology Letters. 8 (4): 533–536.
- ^ Jensen, S.P.; Siefert, L.; Okori, J.J.L.; Clutlon-Brock, T.H. (1999). "Age Related Participation in Allosucking by Nursing Warthogs". Journal of Zoology. London. 248 (4): 443–449.
- ^ Santos, R. S. (1995). "Allopaternal care in the redlip blenny". Journal of Fish Biology. 47: 350–353. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1995.tb01904.x.
- ^ Deihl, Erin. "Cross-Cultural Perspective on Adolescent Parenting: Efe and Korea". oberlin.edu. Oberlin College. Archived from the original on September 15, 2006. Retrieved 2005-12-28.