Friday, September 5, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Mathematics

New mathematical model sheds light on the absence of breastfeeding in male mammals

June 27, 2024
in Mathematics
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
New mathematical model sheds light on the absence of breastfeeding in male mammals
73
SHARES
662
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Being nursed by a single parent could be an evolutionary strategy to curb the spread of harmful microbes in mammals, according to a novel theory developed by mathematicians.

Being nursed by a single parent could be an evolutionary strategy to curb the spread of harmful microbes in mammals, according to a novel theory developed by mathematicians.

The rainforests of Malaysia are home to the only known case of a wild male mammal that produces milk. The Dayak fruit bat is a vanishingly rare case of male milk production, despite the fact that the potential for breastfeeding remains in place in most male mammals. 

In the 1970s, evolutionary theorists posited that the near absence of lactation in males, even though offspring could benefit from the extra nutrition provided, could be attributed to the uncertainty of paternity: As male mammals can’t be sure they are the biological father, this reduces their evolutionary drive to invest heavily in offspring care, including breastfeeding.

Now, mathematicians from the University of York have suggested a complementary perspective. Their hypothesis, published in Nature Communications, suggests that the reason male mammals don’t breastfeed might be driven by the rich community of microbes that lives in breast milk and which plays an important part in establishing the gut microbiome of the infant. 

The theory demonstrates how the transmission of the milk microbiome from both parents would allow harmful microbes to spread through mammalian populations. Maternal-only lactation stops this as restricting transmission of the milk microbiome to females in effect acts as a sieve, retaining just the microbes with beneficial effects.

One of the authors of the study, Dr George Constable from the Department of Mathematics at the University of York, said: “We became fascinated with this topic when we read about Azara’s owl monkeys. They turn previous assumptions about why males don’t breastfeed upside down because they are the most devoted dads in the primate world: They do 80–90% of childcare and only hand their babies back to their female partners for nursing. 

“When both parents are involved in feeding, the chance of a microbe being passed along and getting an initial foothold in a population is essentially doubled. So our theory suggests selection against the transmission of harmful microbes through mammary milk could be an additional selection pressure against male lactation.”

First author of the study, Dr Brennen Fagan working at the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity and the Mathematics Department at the University of York, added: “Breast milk is a living substance and it plays a key role in establishing the gut microbiome of mammals, which is a complex ecosystem of bacteria, viruses and fungi, along with their genetic material. This ecosystem plays a crucial role in health including by helping to protect animals against disease, helping to digest food and in many other ways we are only just discovering. 

“While microbes are not inherently harmful or beneficial; it’s their presence and abundance that dictate the overall health of this internal community. A “wrong actor” at the early point of an animal’s life could change the microbiome at a pivotal moment.”

The mathematical model highlights the advantage of getting fed by just one parent, but the researchers say it makes evolutionary sense for this to be the mother because there has already been an inevitable transmission of microbes during birth and perhaps also in the womb.

Dr Constable added: “This theory fits with a pattern of strategies mammals have adopted in an evolutionary bid to limit the spread of potentially harmful elements. Notably, in humans mitochondrial DNA is exclusively passed down from the mother. This mechanism serves as a natural filter, maintaining genetic integrity by suppressing the proliferation of detrimental mutations. Additionally, the prevalence of monogamous relationships among certain species has been suggested as an adaptive response aimed at minimising the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).”

The researchers caution that their hypothesis is not intended as the basis for any judgements about the different ways of feeding human infants.

Dr Fagan added: “Our model is very much focused on the long-term evolution of the animal kingdom. The model does not tell us about individual families making individual choices on how to safely feed their children, especially not for humans in the modern world. 

“Our hypothesis fills a gap in evolutionary theory and is concerned with selection pressures on mammals at population level and over very long periods of time spanning multiple generations.”

Maternal transmission as a microbial symbiont sieve, and the absence of lactation in male mammals is published in Nature Communications.

 



Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-49559-5

Article Title

Maternal transmission as a microbial symbiont sieve, and the absence of lactation in male mammals

Article Publication Date

27-Jun-2024

Share29Tweet18
Previous Post

Antarctic ice shelves hold twice as much meltwater as previously thought

Next Post

Chinese cities outsourced on others’ efforts to cut carbon emissions 

Related Posts

blank
Mathematics

Exploring Language Learning Strategies Among Japanese STEM University Students

September 4, 2025
blank
Mathematics

Rice Algorithms Challenge Quantum Adversaries

September 3, 2025
blank
Mathematics

New Unified Tool Created for Quantum and Supercomputer Systems

September 3, 2025
blank
Mathematics

Innovative Attack Redefines the Fundamentals of Bitcoin Mining

September 2, 2025
blank
Mathematics

SeoulTech Scientists Create Ultra-Lightweight Memory Manager Revolutionizing Embedded System Performance

September 2, 2025
blank
Mathematics

Applications for the 2026 Hertz Fellowship Are Now Open

August 29, 2025
Next Post
Chinese cities outsourced on others’ efforts to cut carbon emissions 

Chinese cities outsourced on others’ efforts to cut carbon emissions 

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27544 shares
    Share 11014 Tweet 6884
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    958 shares
    Share 383 Tweet 240
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    643 shares
    Share 257 Tweet 161
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    510 shares
    Share 204 Tweet 128
  • Warm seawater speeding up melting of ‘Doomsday Glacier,’ scientists warn

    313 shares
    Share 125 Tweet 78
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • Heavy Metal Pollution in Morocco’s Makhat Watershed
  • Hairy Black Holes: Scrambling Cosmic Past
  • Impact of Vegetable Waste on Labeo Rohita Growth
  • Ultra-Compact Plasmonic Nanocavity Boosts Magnetic SHG

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Blog
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 5,183 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Discover more from Science

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading