Lactation in Primates: Understanding the Physiology of Lactation from an Evolutionary Perspective
Lactation in humans is complex. Understanding the cultural and biological patterns of human breastfeeding requires a global evolutionary analysis that includes observations of other primates. Human breastfeeding may have several specificities, but some features could be shared with other non-human p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-09-01
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| Series: | Humans |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9461/4/4/19 |
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| author | Michelle Pascale Hassler Alexandre Fabre Valérie Moulin Lucie Faccin Julie Gullstrand Alexia Cermolacce Pierre Frémondière |
| author_facet | Michelle Pascale Hassler Alexandre Fabre Valérie Moulin Lucie Faccin Julie Gullstrand Alexia Cermolacce Pierre Frémondière |
| author_sort | Michelle Pascale Hassler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Lactation in humans is complex. Understanding the cultural and biological patterns of human breastfeeding requires a global evolutionary analysis that includes observations of other primates. Human breastfeeding may have several specificities, but some features could be shared with other non-human primates. The purpose of this work is to determine what makes human breastfeeding unique from an evolutionary perspective. We consider behavioral as well as biological variables. Human and non-human primates share behavioral characteristics, such as the need to learn breastfeeding skills, and they display an adaptation of the energy density of the milk according to the type of mothering. However, despite having slow-growing, secondarily altricial offspring and rather diluted milk, modern humans spend less time breastfeeding than the great apes, and consequently have shorter interbirth intervals. Milk composition in macro- and micro-constituents changes during lactation, demonstrating evolutionary and ecological adaptation. Among the great apes, the milk of modern humans contains a higher proportion of fats, an equivalent proportion of carbohydrates and proteins, and a greater variety of oligosaccharides involved in brain and immune system development. The microbiome of modern man is less diverse than those of non-human primates, but the presence of HMOs and immunoglobulin A suggests that human milk is particularly adapted to prevent neonatal infections. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8af82df5be9f4ef79a71b59fea3d2366 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2673-9461 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humans |
| spelling | doaj-art-8af82df5be9f4ef79a71b59fea3d23662025-08-20T02:53:37ZengMDPI AGHumans2673-94612024-09-014429830910.3390/humans4040019Lactation in Primates: Understanding the Physiology of Lactation from an Evolutionary PerspectiveMichelle Pascale Hassler0Alexandre Fabre1Valérie Moulin2Lucie Faccin3Julie Gullstrand4Alexia Cermolacce5Pierre Frémondière6School of Midwifery, Faculty of Medical and Paramedical Sciences, Aix Marseille University, 13344 Marseille Cedex 15, FranceAPHM, Timone Enfant, Multidisciplinary Paediatrics Department, 13005 Marseille, FranceStation of Primatology of Rousset, CNRS, 13790 Rousset, FranceStation of Primatology of Rousset, CNRS, 13790 Rousset, FranceStation of Primatology of Rousset, CNRS, 13790 Rousset, FranceStation of Primatology of Rousset, CNRS, 13790 Rousset, FranceSchool of Midwifery, Faculty of Medical and Paramedical Sciences, Aix Marseille University, 13344 Marseille Cedex 15, FranceLactation in humans is complex. Understanding the cultural and biological patterns of human breastfeeding requires a global evolutionary analysis that includes observations of other primates. Human breastfeeding may have several specificities, but some features could be shared with other non-human primates. The purpose of this work is to determine what makes human breastfeeding unique from an evolutionary perspective. We consider behavioral as well as biological variables. Human and non-human primates share behavioral characteristics, such as the need to learn breastfeeding skills, and they display an adaptation of the energy density of the milk according to the type of mothering. However, despite having slow-growing, secondarily altricial offspring and rather diluted milk, modern humans spend less time breastfeeding than the great apes, and consequently have shorter interbirth intervals. Milk composition in macro- and micro-constituents changes during lactation, demonstrating evolutionary and ecological adaptation. Among the great apes, the milk of modern humans contains a higher proportion of fats, an equivalent proportion of carbohydrates and proteins, and a greater variety of oligosaccharides involved in brain and immune system development. The microbiome of modern man is less diverse than those of non-human primates, but the presence of HMOs and immunoglobulin A suggests that human milk is particularly adapted to prevent neonatal infections.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9461/4/4/19breastfeedingbehaviormilk compositionmicrobiotaaltricialitygrowth |
| spellingShingle | Michelle Pascale Hassler Alexandre Fabre Valérie Moulin Lucie Faccin Julie Gullstrand Alexia Cermolacce Pierre Frémondière Lactation in Primates: Understanding the Physiology of Lactation from an Evolutionary Perspective Humans breastfeeding behavior milk composition microbiota altriciality growth |
| title | Lactation in Primates: Understanding the Physiology of Lactation from an Evolutionary Perspective |
| title_full | Lactation in Primates: Understanding the Physiology of Lactation from an Evolutionary Perspective |
| title_fullStr | Lactation in Primates: Understanding the Physiology of Lactation from an Evolutionary Perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lactation in Primates: Understanding the Physiology of Lactation from an Evolutionary Perspective |
| title_short | Lactation in Primates: Understanding the Physiology of Lactation from an Evolutionary Perspective |
| title_sort | lactation in primates understanding the physiology of lactation from an evolutionary perspective |
| topic | breastfeeding behavior milk composition microbiota altriciality growth |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9461/4/4/19 |
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