title: Evidence of Placentophagia and Mother-Infant Cannibalism in Free-Ranging Macaca mulatta tcheliensis in Mount Taihangshan, Jiyuan, China.
abstract: Placentophagia or the consumption of the afterbirth is reported in many primate species, whereas cannibalism is a relatively rare event. Based on our field observations over the course of 3 years, we present evidence of placentophagia and mother-infant cannibalism in a free-ranging population of the Taihangshan macaque, Macaca mulatta tcheliensis, in the Mt. Taihangshan area, Jiyuan, Henan, China. We documented 1 case in which a mother consumed the afterbirth of her infant. In a second instance, we observed a fresh placenta discarded on the ground by an unknown individual. We also present a description of the first documented instance of mother-infant cannibalism in the same group of free-ranging rhesus macaques.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jundong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Shiqiang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yongman
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Garber
authors.forename: Weijie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: San''ao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: Jiqi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002190:Cannibalism; D002681:China; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000502:physiology*; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D010920:Placenta; D011247:Pregnancy