Multiparous and primiparous mothers partially differ in how they allocate maternal behaviour in captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Abstract

In primates, mothers are crucial for the survival and integration of young offspring into their social group. Usually, mothers adjust their behaviour to the offspring’s age and needs, but maternal experience might modulate developmental changes in such allocation. In this study, we conducted behavioural observations on 7 mother-offspring dyads of captive western lowland gorillas ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla ) to assess whether multiparous mothers adjusted to the changing requirements of their offspring differently from primiparous mothers, and better facilitated their social integration into the group. Our results showed that, compared to primiparous mothers, multiparous mothers were more likely in body contact with younger offspring and less with older offspring. However, maternal experience neither predicted nor mediated how likely mothers were to start or end body contact, nor did it mediate developmental changes in the offspring’s social behaviour toward other group members. Our study provides preliminary evidence of some limited differences in how primiparous and multiparous mothers allocate maternal behaviour in western lowland gorillas.