Biologists from the University of Arizona have discovered that male red-bellied lemurs (Eulemur rubriventer) experience
Red-bellied lemurs are one of the few speciesmammals in which males are actively involved in caring for their young. These monogamous primates live in trees in the eastern rainforests of Madagascar. "Parents" form close unions, and their offspring leave at the age of 3 to 4 years.
The researchers studied the excrement of wildred-bellied lemurs collected in the Ranomafana National Park in Madagascar. Animals live in the wild, but they are monitored. The analysis showed that, although males do not carry the fetus themselves, their body prepares for future fatherhood and produces more estradiol. The peak of the hormone corresponded to the third trimester of the partner's pregnancy.
Changes in the content of estradiol metabolites in the feces of lemurs. Image: Stacey R. Tecot et al., Hormones and Behavior, ScienceDirect
Researchers have not yet found a direct linkbetween the level of estradiol in fathers and the frequency of their specific parental behavior, which in the lemur community includes holding the cub, carrying it, caring for the baby, playing with it. But scientists believe that the activation of female hormones occurs to prepare the animals for the overall task of parenting.
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Cover image: Rachel Kramer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons