Maternal Investment Observed in Manatees

Maternal Investment Observed in Manatees

Maternal instincts vary from species to species. How they care for their offspring depends on environmental and physical factors including but not limited to: the size of the offspring, how many offspring, shelter, and the types of predators they have. Manatees in particular are some of the most gentle creatures on the planet, living simple lives The way they care for their offspring is no different in complexity. For the purpose of this project, the maternal investment of manatees was observed and complied into a small amount of data. This was done by first finding the relative number of offspring and the relative size the offspring is when it leaves. Other factors were observed as well such as the manatees diet and social interactions. The information gathered was put into logistic growth models as well as a maternal investment graph. Overall it was gathered that manatees maternal investment does not vary throughout the different species of manatees.