Bouncing between social commitments harms offspring

5 Apr 2017
The study on kangaroos and their offspring lasted six years. Credit: Wendy King

Having a social life comes at a cost for grey kangaroos, with ‘mingling’ mothers reducing the chances of survival for their offspring.

Lead author and recent University of Queensland School of Biological Sciences graduate Dr Wendy King said young kangaroos that spent more time with their mothersgrew faster and gained more weight than other joeys of the same age, while those that spent more time alone with their mothers had higher survival. 

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