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Cyclical nursing patterns in wild orangutans.

Tanya M Smith1,2, Christine Austin3, Katie Hinde2,4,5

  • 1Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.

Science Advances
|June 1, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Wild orangutan nursing histories reveal extended suckling periods up to 8 years, exceeding known primate weaning ages. Barium analysis in teeth indicates fluctuating milk consumption linked to resource availability.

Keywords:
Seasonalitybariumlife historynon-human primatesnursingorangutanweaning

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Area of Science:

  • Primate Ecology
  • Paleontology
  • Zoology

Background:

  • Studying nursing behavior in arboreal primates like orangutans is challenging due to their nesting habits.
  • Orangutans exhibit the longest nursing period of any mammal, with weaning estimated between 6-8 years.
  • Previous research suggests milk consumption is constant, but direct evidence is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide the first detailed nursing histories of wild orangutans using trace element analysis.
  • To investigate the duration and patterns of nursing in Bornean (Pongo pygmaeus) and Sumatran (Pongo abelii) orangutans.
  • To correlate milk consumption patterns with orangutan life history and resource availability.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for trace element analysis.
  • Analyzed barium distribution in the teeth of four wild orangutans.
  • Combined chemical analysis with histological examination of dental growth lines.

Main Results:

  • Barium levels in teeth indicated intensive nursing in the first year, followed by solid food supplementation.
  • Sustained, approximately annual fluctuations in barium levels suggest cyclical milk consumption.
  • Nursing cessation occurred at 8.1 years in one Bornean orangutan and continued until death at 8.8 years in a Sumatran individual.

Conclusions:

  • Wild orangutan nursing durations exceed previously reported maximums for nonhuman primates.
  • Fluctuating milk consumption patterns likely reflect infant demand influenced by resource availability.
  • Trace element analysis in teeth offers a powerful tool for reconstructing primate nursing histories.