Physiological, social, and environmental elements have influenced the evolution of the immense diversity in maternal behaviour across the mammalian order. There are two general phases

For mothers, there is nothing more painful than losing a child. The unfortunate truth in the animal kingdom is that it happens all the time

In mammals, embryos can exist in a state of suspended animation. It’s thought that this ability to store fertilized embryos originally evolved to maximize reproductive

Nazca boobies are ground-nesting colonial seabirds that exhibit unique pseudomothering behaviour. In any given year, there are reproductive females whose nests have failed. While busy

The parenting hypothesis posits that first-time moms (moms who haven’t given birth) will allonurse unrelated offspring as a means by which to gain experience and

Close bonds form between females who see each other all the time, although in the case of alloparenting and shared nursing between house mice, there

Toothed whales called Odontocetes are mammals that form close social bonds, most often along matriarchal lines, and it is therefore not surprising that an infant’s

While many human parents will assure their children they do not have a favourite, in the animal kingdom, moms may provide different levels of care

Among the most supported hypotheses for milk sharing between females is the kin selection hypothesis. This states that mothers are more likely to share these