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Published on: June 9, 2023
Variation in placentophagy in golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) reflects nutritional constraints
Shiyu Jin1, Qi Gao1, Derek W Dunn1
1Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.
Abstract:
Golden snub-nosed monkeys show inconsistent frequency of placentophagy between wild and captive populations, with almost all births in the wild but around half of the births in captivity accompanied by the female's consumption of placenta. This aligns with nutritional demands-driven placentophagy, as captive populations are generally under less nutritional constraints for breeding females than the wild population. Placentophagy is probably adaptive in the wild and under positive selection due to nutritional benefits to both mothers and infants.
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