Ursula Paredes
@ursulaparedes.bsky.social
Lecturer in Human Genomics at St Georges Medical school/Honorary Lecturer on Biological Anthropology at UCLAnthropology
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.