Tiny
nocturnal lemurs recognize their dad's cries amid the other sounds of the
nighttime Madagascar forests, a new study finds. The research is the first to
show that solitary animals may avoid inbreeding by keeping an ear out for
familiar voices.
Previous
studies have found that animals living in complex social groups have no trouble
recognizing their own kin's calls, particularly the sounds of maternal
relatives. Even goat mamas keep
a long-term memory for their baby's calls, according to a study published
earlier this year.
But
less is known about how animals recognize their father's calls, and the cries
of the relatives on dad's side of the family. Likewise, researchers know very
little about how solitary-living animals avoid inbreeding with dad's side of
the family.
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