Abstract:
Mammalian parental investment (i.e., care of descendant offspring) is largely biased
towards maternal contributions due to the specific feeding needs of mammalian
offspring; however, varying degrees of paternal investment have been reported in
about 10% of all mammalian species. Within the order Carnivora, paternal
contribution to rearing offspring is particularly high: an estimated 32% of all studied
carnivore species exhibit direct paternal care. Despite the prominence of paternal
investment in carnivores, the endocrine basis of this behaviour is not well
understood. This review examines the current – highly constrained -- state of
knowledge about the endocrine basis of carnivore paternal investment. We attempt
to link changes in androgen and glucocorticoid levels with variation in direct and
indirect paternal care behaviour making specific predictions regarding the way
forward. Well studied species such as bat-eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis), dwarf
mongoose (Helogale parvula) and meerkats (Suricata suricatta), where social
dynamics are relatively well understood, can act as ideal model systems through
which we may further investigate the endocrine basis of paternal investment in
carnivores.
