lEopard seals have a reputation for being aggressive animals. Almost alone at the top of the Antarctic food chain, these territorial predators feed on penguins, squid and other seals; They have even been known to attack humans. Now new research is shedding light on the softer side of pinnipeds.
For the first time, scientists have observed how leopard seal mothers care for their dead offspring. This is a rare phenomenon known as “postmortem attentive behavior” or PAB. This behavior has been observed in chimpanzees, whales, elephants and other mammals, but has not previously been documented in leopard seals.
Postdoctoral fellows Emily Speru and Renato Borras-Chavez at the University of Rhode Island observed leopard seals in Patagonia, Chile, and published their research. conclusions V Polar biology. They observed some mothers with dead babies sniffing them, carrying them in their mouths, displaying territoriality around their carcasses, and even transporting them between ice floes. “It was unique behavior,” Sperow said in an interview. statement.
In some of the mothers observed, PAB manifested itself long after the death of their offspring. In fact, one mother cared for her puppy's corpse for 20 days—one of the longest bouts of PAD ever recorded.
Although whether this heartbreaking behavior is something we humans call “grief” is probably an open question. best left to philosophersHowever, there is still debate among biologists about whether this trait is adaptive. The authors of this article take an unambiguous position. “It’s actually a maladaptive trait,” Sperow said. “This behavior does not benefit the animal.”
Read more: “How do animals understand death?»
Researchers point to a potential chemical culprit: the hormone oxytocin. After birth, oxytocin enhances the maternal bond, and once the tap is turned on, it may not turn off as quickly, even if their offspring die. In other words, PAB may represent a kind of empathy transference that makes mother seals unable to let go of their dead pups.
Some scientists also theoretical that PAB in other marine mammals such as whales and dolphins is a consequence of larger brains that evolved for social interaction. In this model, mothers with dead offspring are more likely to be social creatures who try to protect their offspring even after they have died.
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Lead image: Spuru, E.S. etc. Polar biology (2025).
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