BEAUTIFUL NEWS ABOUT ANIMAL MOTHERS NOW

Animal mothers are known for being protective, always shielding their babies from danger. Maternal instincts even kick in when other babies are in distress.

Human mothers tend to want to comfort a crying baby even when it isn’t their own. Many other species share this level of cross-motherly concern for their young.

But what about protecting the babies of other species?

A new study, published by Susan Lingle and Tobias Riede, of the University of Winnipeg, suggests that mammalian mothers will try to protect their own young, as well as babies of other species.

Lingle and Riede studied wild mule and white-tailed deer and their reactions to the cries of many different baby animals. The scientists hid in the woods and played recordings of the babies crying as they watched the deers’ reaction.

The deer responded, in most cases, by searching for the crying baby animals, regardless of babies’ species, including baby cats, seals, sea lions, bats, and humans.

Newborn distress cries among most mammals have a simple frequency and rich harmony. Scientists believe that mammalian infants developed a strong cry to provoke a quick maternal response.

Interestingly, the deer did not search for the infants of predators, like coyotes. They also did not respond to those whose voice frequencies were not similar to their own, such as marmots and songbirds.

It is believed that early in mammalian history, mothers needed to protect their babies quickly, in response to imminent threats. A cry that elicited the quickest response would have been highly selected for.

Scientists suggest that there is cross-species sensitivity that isn’t bound by familiarity. Furthermore, it is likely that there are other areas of behavior and emotion that are able to transcend between species as well.

The results of this study were published in The American Naturalist.

Read more about Beautiful Motherhood, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including 10 Beautiful Books on the Beauty of Mothers Now.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Mike. Tenderfoot. Whitetail doe and her fawns.
2. Image: by Tambako The Jaguar. Lemur Mother and Baby.
3. Image: by Elizabeth Haslam. Mother and Child.
4. Image: by James Marvin Phelps. Watching Over The Young Mule Deer Doe and Fawns.
5. Image: by Nathan Rupert. Baby Seal.
6. Image: by Tambako The Jaguar. Seal pup with open mouth The same seal pup, this time with open mouth!
7. Image: by Bill Gracey. Hummingbirds Are Good Mothers.
8. Image: by Tambako The Jaguar. Mother and Baby Gibbons Eating.
9. Image: by Elizabeth Haslam. It Takes A Village (explored--thank you).
10. Image: by Tambako The Jaguar. Elena, Mother Patience.
11. Image: by Tambako The Jaguar. Mother Lynx With Her Baby.
12. Image: by angela n. 16-Day-Old Giraffe.
13. Image: by Tambako The Jaguar. Mother and Baby Spider Monkey Eating Grapes.