parental behavior

in nonhuman animals, the process of preparing for the birth of offspring (often through nest building) and the actions of one or both parents that contribute to the survival or well-being of their young after birth. The latter include (a) nursing or otherwise provisioning the young with food, (b) retrieving behavior or carrying young in species that do not build permanent nests, and (c) weaning the offspring so that they can become independent. Many hormonal controls of parental behavior have been identified in females (as well as in males of those species in which males participate in care of young). Among human beings and other primates, parental behavior is less dependent on hormonal changes and more dependent on sociocultural and experiential factors than among other animals, although hormonal changes do still occur. See also maternal behavior; paternal behavior.

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Psychology term of the day

November 18th 2024

recessive allele

the version of a gene (see allele) whose effects are manifest only if it is carried on both members of a homologous pair of chromosomes. Hence, the trait determined by a recessive allele (the recessive trait) is apparent only in the absence of another version of that same gene (the dominant allele). The term autosomal recessive is used to describe patterns of inheritance in which characteristics are conveyed by recessive alleles. For example, Tay–Sachs disease is an autosomal recessive disorder.