Question

What is allomothering and how is it manifested? Use no less than three examples (at least one human and one nonhuman)? What are the most important benefits attributed to social units that engage in allomothering? How might this information be useful in modern society?

Answer 1

Allomothers are non maternal caretakers of an infant. They function as mother by providing provision and nourshing, protecting them.It is manifested through different individuals like grandmother, aunts, close relative, elder siblings. Adoption is also a method of alloparenting.It is common in primates.Some allomother will even happen to be pseudopregnant and lactate the

eg;

• Birds that allomother --- Magpie jays
• Animal that allomother--- Vervet monkeys, marmosets, golden lion tamarins, dusky leaf monkeys, lemurs, and langurs,
• Human allomothering examples---- Adoption, baby sitting that helps working mothers, Grandparents looking after grandchildren, Aunts looking after niece or nephew etc

BENEFITS;

Allomothering provided the skills for future mothers to successfully raise their young to maturity. Allomothering occurs in other mammal species, particularily elephants. Juvenile elephants help to comfort, assist and protect the calves.

Benefit of allomother:
Learning parenting skill.
Benefit of mother:
Reduction in time and effort allocated to infant care.
Mother gain support after reproduction. And helps them to save up resources for giving next birth.

Living in social groupshelps to strengthen the family bond in the society .

Useful information in modern society: Mother-infant relationships among primates have been considered critical for infant survival and, later in life, important for social learning and maturation. Although allomothering helps in some ways.It can lead to problems in mother -child bond. It may led to decreased lactation in mothers. It can also negatively affect child behaviour. Children may be aggressive in behaviour. Allomother attachment may not be same as parents. In modern society humans adopt this alloparenting care due to busy life. Parents don't even know what their children do this may lead to big crimes. Adopting and orphan child may be different in scenario as it is opportunity for both of them to be benefited and attached. In animals it varies as they are independent than human infants, therefore it benefit mother by saving time and produce next offsprings.