Strange but very true. Its been known for some time now that squirrels have in some way almost the same maternal instincts as we humans when it comes to adopting other squirrels babies of which babies parents have abandoned their young. Altruistic behaviors can take on many forms, even among non-human animals. For example, they may warn neighbors of nearby predators or quell a dispute between two individuals fighting one another. But perhaps the most altruistic behavior of all is to care for an orphaned offspring as though it were one of your own. Its not just squirrels that show this rather unique behavior either. Elephants, whales and even mice also adopt other young that have been left behind by the parents or when both parents have been killed by predators. Thats pretty amazing when you come to think of it. Why animals posses this maternal instinct for is still quite a mystery. Animal behaviorists have been trying to understand the motivation behind altruism for decades, with little success. Some suggest that acts of kindness do not square with our Darwinian view of natural selection. Others argue that animals are simply compassionate creatures, willing to help others even while incurring a cost to themselves. Darwin’s law of natural selection, however, states that only the individuals who are most fit for their environment pass on their genes to the next generation. The “evolutionary game” is to increase copies of your genes at the expense of those of other individuals. Adoption, then, does not seem to make sense under this law: By adopting another female’s offspring, you are passing on her genes instead of your own. In addition, you might be putting your own offspring at risk by having one more mouth to feed. Why, then, would a female choose to raise another female’s offspring? Ultimately, the underlining motivation of these behaviors, and the reasons for their persistence, may be due to a mixture of selfish and altruistic tendencies—tendencies that ensure the survival of our genes. Have you seen such behavior before in the wild?
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 02:10:05 +0000
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