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Some females abort or resorb their own young while they are still in development after a new male takes over; this is known as the Bruce effect. [31] This may prevent their young from being killed after birth, saving the mother wasted time and energy. However, this strategy also benefits the new male.
California ground squirrel, one species known to show infanticide behaviour. Infanticide is the termination of a neonate after it has been born, and in zoology this is often the termination or consumption of newborn animals by either a parent or an unrelated adult.
The Bruce effect, or pregnancy block, [1] [2] is the tendency for female rodents to terminate their pregnancies following exposure to the scent of an unfamiliar male. [3] The effect was first noted in 1959 by Hilda M. Bruce, [4] and has primarily been studied in laboratory mice (Mus musculus). [1]
Infanticide in non-human primates occurs as a result of exploitation when the individuals performing the infanticide directly benefit from consumption or use of their victim. [1] The individual can become a resource: food ( cannibalism ); a protective buffer against aggression, or a prop to obtain maternal experience.
In animals, the process involves a sperm fusing with an ovum, which eventually leads to the development of an embryo. Depending on the animal species, the process can occur within the body of the female in internal fertilization, or outside in the case of external fertilization. The fertilized egg cell is known as the zygote. [2] [5]
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Two were filed in August by women in Texas who could not get timely care for their ectopic pregnancies—which are life-threatening, nonviable, and only treatable with abortion—until the ...
Smaller species normally have a shorter gestation period than larger animals. [2] For example, a cat's gestation normally takes 58–65 days while an elephant's takes nearly 2 years (21 months). [3] However, growth does not necessarily determine the length of gestation for all species, especially for those with a breeding season. Species that ...