Researchers from Myanmar, Finland and the United Kingdom recently found that having an older sister has a significant positive effect on baby portraits.
In this study, researchers examined the long-term effects of siblings on calves in a controlled Asian elephant working group from the Myanmar Timber Enterprise (MTE). Often, longitudinal studies of long-lived animals are not possible because research institutions do not have the resources to conduct studies lasting up to ten years. However, the MTE meticulously tracks and records information about the lives of the elephants.
MTE elephants are free to roam and mingle with wild herds. This allowed the researchers to hypothesize that their findings on MTE elephants could be applied more to the species as a whole.
After using this data to look at elephant family relationships, the researchers concluded that sibling relationships in animals are especially important in community-driven and social mammal groups, such as elephants.
The Vital Influence of Elephant Siblings
For female elephants, having an older sister is associated with a longer average lifespan, higher survival and higher reproductive rates. These factors are also important in determining an elephant’s quality of life. These factors are also important for the conservation of Asian elephants.
The older brother also had a positive impact on the Mavericks. But the impact is not as great as that of the sisters. Reproduction is one of the highest indicators of positive impact. Elephants with older sisters start breeding at least two years earlier than elephants with older brothers.
For male elephants, older sisters are not necessarily associated with longer lifespans or higher survival rates. However, it did correlate with higher average body weight. This is another important indicator of late survival. A higher average body weight reduces the risk of elephants surviving later in life.
Sibling relationships have a great influence on the cognitive development of calves. Especially in social species, high levels of cooperative behavior are necessary for survival. Elephants are one of the best examples of social species. This is due to their important family ties.
The Future of Sibling Studies
The researchers have acknowledged the limitations of the study and the potential impact of external factors on survival and reproduction rates.
In the future, the research team plans to conduct research on the effects of maternal weight, environmental factors in the family group, and the presence of cubs on older elephants.
By further investigating elephant family relationships, researchers hope to piece together more information about the community and family relationships of this intelligent animal.
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
