Parental Care in Amniotes: Patterns, Neural Mechanisms, and Evolutionary Implications

Abstract

Parental behaviour is one of the key strategies animals employ to adapt to their environment and ensure the survival of their offspring. Amniotes (including reptiles, birds, and mammals) exhibit significant differences in their parenting styles: reptiles often compensate for low-investment parenting behaviour by laying many eggs, birds primarily engage in cooperative parenting by both parents, while mammals, due to their viviparous and lactation mechanisms, generally exhibit long-term and high-cost maternal care. In some species, rare instances of paternal or single-parent care have been observed, indicating diverse adaptive evolutionary pathways. Recent studies have revealed the neural mechanisms underlying parental care, including the critical role of brain regions such as the hypothalamus and its medial preoptic area (MPOA) in maternal and paternal behaviour; specific neurotransmitters and hormones such as oxytocin, dopamine, and prolactin have also been shown to play important roles in regulating parental care behaviour. Additionally, genetic regulation of neural circuits and hormone secretion further elucidates the molecular basis of parental care behaviour. Reviewing the parental care patterns and neural mechanisms across different taxonomic groups not only helps us understand the selective pressures faced by animals during evolution but also provides important insights for research on human social behaviour and related neuropsychiatric disorders.