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Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos del Principado de Asturias).
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Psicothema, 2008. Vol. Vol. 20 (nº 4). 825-829




Body weight increase in expectant males and helpers of cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus): A sympton of the Couvade syndrome?

Susana María Sánchez Rodríguez, Fernando Peláez del Hierro, Ana María Fidalgo de las Heras, Ana Morcillo Pimentel and José Manuel Caperos Montalbán

Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

In the cooperative breeding system of cotton-top tamarin (TCB; Saguinus oedipus) «expectant» males gain weight during the last months of pregnancy of their partners as a way to cope with energy costs of reproduction. This phenomenon was described only in humans as a symptom of «Couvade syndrome». As after infants’ birth, TCB male and female helpers lose weight, the same as fathers do, it might be expected that previously, they also gain weight. In 8 groups of TCB, we explored body weight changes of the three categories of individuals, in periods of six months, under three different reproductive conditions: control (no pregnancy and without offspring), pregnancy (pregnancy and without offspring), and raising (with offspring). We found that across pregnancy, TCBs increase their weight in the last trimester of that period while across breeding TCBs reduce their weight in the first trimester. Expectant males and also helpers could be preparing during pregnancy in relation to the weight losses they experience when raising their young.

Aumento de peso corporal en machos expectantes y cooperantes de tití de cabeza blanca (Saguinus oedipus):¿un síntoma del Síndrome de Couvade? En el sistema de crianza cooperativa del tití de cabeza blanca (TCB; Saguinus oedipus) los machos «expectantes» aumentan de peso durante los últimos meses de la preñez de sus parejas como una forma de enfrentarse a los costos energéticos de la reproducción. Este fenómeno se había descrito únicamente en humanos como un síntoma del «síndrome Couvade». Puesto que los cooperantes macho y hembra de TCB asumen costos reproductivos, cabría esperar que previamente también ellos aumentaran de peso. Hemos explorado en 8 grupos de TCB el cambio de peso de las tres categorías de individuos, en períodos de seis meses en tres condiciones reproductoras diferentes: control (sin preñez y sin crías), preñez (preñez y sin crías) y crianza (con crías). Hemos encontrado que durante la preñez los tamarines aumentan de peso en el último trimestre de ese período, mientras que en la crianza reducen su peso en el primer trimestre. Los machos expectantes y también los cooperantes podrían prepararse durante la preñez en relación a las pérdidas de peso que experimentan durante la crianza.

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