Week 11 Post 2

Parental Care

Humans require a lot of intensive care as babies. We are born fragile, unable to move, unable to eat on our own, and unintelligent. On the other hand,  some animals don't need any care as juveniles at all.  Some other species are in between, needing help at some point, none at another.
Parental care: is any activity performed by a parent that enhances the survival of its offspring. Different species give different kinds and amounts of care. Examples of parental care include incubating eggs, feeding, protection from predators, and transporting offspring from place to place
Parents can teach offspring skills like foraging.
Animals can follow two strategies when it comes to parental care and reproduction. Some species produce large numbers of offspring that they don't care for to offset the number that will die; a larger number of offspring but a higher death rate. Some species will care for the offspring for months or years after birth/hatching but will have a smaller number of offspring. Some species will not care for the offspring but will protect them from predators before they are born/hatched (in between).
Not all animals have the energy to produce a lot of offspring and care for them, that is why they do not all care for their young although it would result in a lower death rate. Use of either strategy depends on the environment as well; food availability and predators.
A certain hormone actually increases care behavior in birds and mammals; prolactin.
Individuals may collaborate on care or go solo when it comes to the care of offspring. Males are less willing to help if the female mated with other males because the odds that the offspring is his is lessened.

Humans require a lot of parental care, and it can be compared to the care of many animals, like elephants. They have a long gestation period and care for their young for a long time after birth, keeping them as members of the "family".