The role of infant presence and other social correlates of fetal loss in wild mandrills.

Early-conceiving female mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) that already have an infant show a higher probability of fetal loss than other females, in a wild mandrill study.

• Why it matters: Offspring survival strongly shapes fitness, yet the social and reproductive correlates of fetal loss in wild primates are not well characterized.
• What they did: The study in PLOS Biology examined social correlates of fetal loss, focusing on early conceiving females with an infant versus other females.
• The result: The linked pattern suggests infant presence is associated with increased fetal loss risk in this wild mandrill population, informing how social context may relate to reproductive outcomes.

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