We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Development of Infant Independence in a Captive Group of Lowland Gorillas.
- Authors
Hoff, Michael P.; Nadler, Ronald D.; Maple, Terry L.
- Abstract
In March 1976,3 lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) were born to primiparous females living with an adult male in a large compound at the field station of the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center of Emory University. Observations of parent and infant behavior began at the birth of the infants, using several methods of data collection. This report focuses on the development of independence in these infants over the 1st 1½ years of life. As expected, measures of mother-infant contact and proximity decreased with age. Several measures suggested that infant independence developed as an interactive process between mothers and infants, with primary responsibility changing over the months of study. Maternal behaviors that served to maintain mother-infant contact were found to decrease with age, with an eventual shift to infant responsibility for contact maintenance. Additionally, the adult male appeared to influence developing independence as reflected in the maternal protectiveness evoked by his behavior.
- Subjects
WESTERN lowland gorilla; INFANT psychology; ANIMAL young; ANIMAL behavior; PARENTAL behavior in animals; ANIMAL psychology
- Publication
Developmental Psychobiology, 1981, Vol 14, Issue 3, p251
- ISSN
0012-1630
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/dev.420140314