Wild bonobos experience unusually low bone resorption during early lactation relative to humans and other mammals.

ABSTRACT: In mammals, pregnancy and lactation are marked by maternal calcium stress and bone resorption, leading to reduced bone mineral density. In humans, these periods may partly explain the higher prevalence of osteoporosis in older women compared with men, but lactation patterns in modern humans may reflect cultural influences rather than natural conditions. The extent to which these findings apply to wild-living mammals remains unknown. We measured urinary C-terminal crosslinking telopeptide of Type I collagen (CTX-I) levels, a bone resorption marker, during pregnancy in wild and zoo-housed bonobos (Pan paniscus) and during lactation in wild bonobos. Studying wild-living primates such as bonobos can provide insights into ancestral reproductive adaptations. We found an increase in CTX-I

SUBMITTER: Behringer V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12516605 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature