Researchers from Oxford University found that a species of birds called great tits or Parus major would rather starve than wing it alone with their partner. The research team discovered that despite an immediate need for food, the birds chose to stay close to their partners than forage for food alone.
The researchers initially thought that mating great tits would split ways if it means having greater chances to forage for food. The experiment, which involved restricting access to one of the mating birds, led researchers to discover that the birds without food access would stay alongside their feeding partners than wing it alone.
"The choice to stay close to their partner over accessing food demonstrates how an individual bird's decisions in the short-term, which might appear sub-optimal, can actually be shaped around gaining the long-term benefits of maintaining their key relationships," said Oxford zoologist and lead author Josh Firth. This particular bond has been observed in other animals.
Prairie Voles
Researchers from the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta observed the mating habits of a rodent species called prairie voles, which is a mouse's shorter and stouter cousin. Their "snackable" size makes them a favorite meal for predators like snakes and hawks, leaving mating prairie voles just a few months to enjoy their partner's company. In the research haven in Atlanta, the prairie voles are given a safe, parasite-free environment complete with all the comfort they need: a mate, abundant nesting materials and readily-available rabbit food.
Led by Yerkes researcher Larry Young, the team believes that the prairie voles' habits could explain why humans care for their partners, pamper their children and grieve for the dead. The team found that unlike 97 percent of mammals, prairie voles are monogamous and possess social traits that are almost human in nature, including creating lifetime bonds with just one mate. Researchers observed a courtship prior to mating and the strong bond that forms long after the deed. The male also sticks around to raise the babies, a follow-through that is expected by the female who would tug her partner on the back of his neck when he is failing to do the job. The prairie voles also experience something similar to human grief when their mates die.
Gibbons
