Other Animals Share Human Mothers’ Pain
A recent study reveals that childbirth difficulties are not unique to humans but are common among many mammals. Evolutionary biologist Nicole Grunstra found that birth complications occur frequently in both wild and domesticated species. The research suggests a trade-off between the survival of larger offspring and the risks associated with childbirth.
- ▪Childbirth complications are widespread in mammals, not just humans.
- ▪Grunstra's study reviewed 170 research papers on birth difficulties in various mammals.
- ▪Larger offspring tend to survive better, creating an evolutionary tension between size and the risks of childbirth.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Other Animals Share Human Mothers’ Pain","description":"Other Animals Share Human Mothers’ Pain: The widespread trials and tribulations of mammal childbirth","image":["https://lede-admin.nautil.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/70/2026/05/Reese_HERO_83090c.png"],"datePublished":"2026-05-18T17:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-18T16:11:03+00:00","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Devin…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Nautil.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Nautil
