Ursula Paredes
@ursulaparedes.bsky.social
Lecturer in Human Genomics at St Georges Medical school/Honorary Lecturer on Biological Anthropology at UCLAnthropology
What if newborn abandonment- widely seen in captive primates, was not pathology but adaptation (see thread)? A fresh preprint led by Jayde Farinha (from UCL Anthropology) #LifeHistory #Primates #UCLAnthropology #EvolutionaryMedicine www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Strategic rejection of newborns is associated with substantially extended lifespan in parents and increased lifespan in well-reared offspring in owl monkeys
Parental rejection of apparently healthy newborns occurs across captive primate colonies, yet its adaptive significance remains unclear. In owl monkeys ( Aotus nancymaae ), spontaneous parental reject...
www.biorxiv.org
December 27, 2025 at 5:39 PM
What if newborn abandonment- widely seen in captive primates, was not pathology but adaptation (see thread)? A fresh preprint led by Jayde Farinha (from UCL Anthropology) #LifeHistory #Primates #UCLAnthropology #EvolutionaryMedicine www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Rejecting parents also leave more descendants, an advantage explained by extended lifespan.
Our results suggest neonatal rejection can represent an adaptive reduction in parental investment under stress, rather than pathology alone. #EvolutionaryMedicine #StressDisease #EvolAnthropology #primates
Our results suggest neonatal rejection can represent an adaptive reduction in parental investment under stress, rather than pathology alone. #EvolutionaryMedicine #StressDisease #EvolAnthropology #primates
December 27, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Rejecting parents also leave more descendants, an advantage explained by extended lifespan.
Our results suggest neonatal rejection can represent an adaptive reduction in parental investment under stress, rather than pathology alone. #EvolutionaryMedicine #StressDisease #EvolAnthropology #primates
Our results suggest neonatal rejection can represent an adaptive reduction in parental investment under stress, rather than pathology alone. #EvolutionaryMedicine #StressDisease #EvolAnthropology #primates
Kaplan–Meier curves show that rejector parents have higher survival during prime reproductive years (6–20 yrs).
Crucially, parents who rejected only their first birth show no benefit, but those rejecting later-born offspring do. Suggesting strategic, experience-dependent rejection -not inexperience.
Crucially, parents who rejected only their first birth show no benefit, but those rejecting later-born offspring do. Suggesting strategic, experience-dependent rejection -not inexperience.
December 27, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Kaplan–Meier curves show that rejector parents have higher survival during prime reproductive years (6–20 yrs).
Crucially, parents who rejected only their first birth show no benefit, but those rejecting later-born offspring do. Suggesting strategic, experience-dependent rejection -not inexperience.
Crucially, parents who rejected only their first birth show no benefit, but those rejecting later-born offspring do. Suggesting strategic, experience-dependent rejection -not inexperience.
Maternal rejection of newborns in captivity is usually framed as pathological.
But what if a mother rejects to survive?
In a colony of owl monkeys, we show that breeding pairs (mum+dad) who rejected a newborn lived ~4–4.5 years longer than controls & their well-reared offspring also lived longer.
But what if a mother rejects to survive?
In a colony of owl monkeys, we show that breeding pairs (mum+dad) who rejected a newborn lived ~4–4.5 years longer than controls & their well-reared offspring also lived longer.
December 27, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Maternal rejection of newborns in captivity is usually framed as pathological.
But what if a mother rejects to survive?
In a colony of owl monkeys, we show that breeding pairs (mum+dad) who rejected a newborn lived ~4–4.5 years longer than controls & their well-reared offspring also lived longer.
But what if a mother rejects to survive?
In a colony of owl monkeys, we show that breeding pairs (mum+dad) who rejected a newborn lived ~4–4.5 years longer than controls & their well-reared offspring also lived longer.