Lateralization of mother-infant interactions in a diverse range of mammal species
Karina Karenina1,2, Andrey Giljov1,2, Janeane Ingram3
1Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia.
Abstract:
Left-cradling bias is a distinctive feature of maternal behaviour in humans and great apes, but its evolutionary origin remains unknown. In 11 species of marine and terrestrial mammal, we demonstrate consistent patterns of lateralization in mother-infant interactions, indicating right hemisphere dominance for social processing. In providing clear evidence that lateralized positioning is beneficial in mother-infant interactions, our results illustrate a significant impact of lateralization on individual fitness.
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