A Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) nurses a pup.
In mammals, lactation has important effects on maternal and offspring fitness. Pinnipeds (fin-footed mammals) are a good mammalian group for research studies that focus on lactation because in pinniped species, the high energy investment of lactation is not complicated by paternal or alloparental care. A recent study measured 12 life history and ecological traits across pinniped species to test hypotheses concerning the influence of phylogeny, maternal body size, breeding substrate, and other factors on the evolution of lactation strategies. This photograph originally appeared on the cover of Ecological Monographs (75:2) in May of 2005.
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| Primary or BEN resource type | |
|---|---|
| Format | |
| Core Concepts | |
| Drought & Water-Ecosystem Services Collection | Off |
| Conservation Targets Under Global Change Collection | Off |
| Big Data Collection | Off |
| Editor's Choice | No |
| Audience | |
| Pedagogical Use Description | This photograph could be used to illustrate parental investment, lactation in mammals, a pinniped species, or reproduction. |
| Keywords | nursing, lactation, parent, parental investment, reproduction |
| Key taxa | Galapagos sea lion , Zalophus wollebaeki |
| Life science discipline (subject) | |
| Primary Author Controlled Name | |
| Primary Author Affiliation | Cornell University, Ecological Society of America |
| Primary Author email | jdb27@cornell.edu |
| Rights | Copyright 2005 by the Ecological Society of America. |
| Date Of Record Submission | 2008-04-16 |
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