…By Enitan Thompson for TDPel Media.
New research suggests that gorillas, including humans, may break the mold when it comes to the long-term effects of early life adversity.
Unlike many other species, previous studies conducted by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund found that young gorillas exhibit resilience when losing their mothers.
However, researchers highlight that losing a mother is just one example of potential adversity that young animals can face.
The study challenges the assumption that early life adversity universally leads to negative outcomes in adulthood and raises questions about the impact of such events on humans.
The findings of this study shed light on the unique resilience observed in gorillas when it comes to early life adversity.
The researchers discovered that gorillas who survived beyond the age of six showed minimal effects from the difficulties they experienced during infancy or as juveniles.
In contrast, humans face challenges in attributing adult health issues or premature death to specific adverse events experienced during early life due to various behavioral, environmental, and cultural factors.
Therefore, studying early adverse events in non-human species, such as gorillas, could provide valuable insights into understanding their impact on humans and finding ways to mitigate their effects.
The researchers suggest that the ability of gorillas to overcome early life adversities can have significant implications for humans.
Understanding the underlying reasons behind this resilience may provide valuable lessons for addressing and mitigating the impact of early life adversity in human populations.
The study analyzed data spanning 55 years, focusing on a group of wild mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.
The long-term monitoring conducted by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund provided a wealth of information on these animals.
The study identified six different types of early life adversity experienced by the gorillas, including parental loss, group member death due to infanticide, social group instability, limited age-mates in the social group, and the presence of a competing sibling born shortly after them.
The researchers examined the impact of experiencing none, one, two, or three or more adverse events.
The results revealed that gorillas who experienced multiple adversities before the age of six had a higher likelihood of dying as juveniles.
However, if they survived past age six despite early adversity, their lifespans were not shortened, regardless of the number of adverse events they faced.
Surprisingly, gorillas who experienced three or more forms of adversity actually lived longer, with a 70% reduction in the risk of death in adulthood.
This longevity trend was particularly observed in males, potentially due to viability selection.
It suggests that gorillas who were strong enough to survive challenging early life events may possess higher quality traits that contribute to longer lifespans.
The study’s findings challenge the notion that the long-term negative effects of early life adversity are universal across species, emphasizing the need for nuanced understanding.
Assistant Professor Rosenbaum, one of the study’s authors, suggests that assumptions about compromised adulthood following early adversity should not be made without considering the complexity and individuality of each case.
The researchers propose that the tight-knit social structures within gorilla groups may contribute to their resilience.
Even when a young gorilla loses its mother, other group members step in to fill the gap, preventing isolation.
This study adds to the growing body of research exploring the impact of early life adversity and resilience in various species.
By studying non-human species like gorillas, scientists gain valuable insights that can inform our understanding of human development and strategies to mitigate the effects of early adversity.
Gorillas serve as a fascinating example of how some species can overcome early challenges and thrive in adulthood, challenging traditional assumptions about the long-term consequences of early
Enitan Thompson kwa ajili ya TDPel Media Utafiti mpya unaonyesha kwamba gorilla, ikiwa ni pamoja na wanadamu, wanaweza kuvunja muundo linapokuja athari za muda mrefu za shida za maisha ya mapema. Utafiti uliofanywa na shirika la Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund ulionyesha kwamba gorilla wachanga huonyesha uwezo wa kukabiliana na kifo cha mama yao. Hata hivyo, watafiti wanasema kwamba kupoteza mama ni mfano mmoja tu wa matatizo ambayo wanyama wachanga wanaweza kukabili. Utafiti huo unashutumu dhana ya kwamba shida za maisha ya mapema huongoza kwa matokeo mabaya katika utu mzima na huinua maswali juu ya athari za matukio kama hayo kwa wanadamu. Matokeo ya utafiti huu yanaonyesha jinsi gorilla wanavyoweza kukabiliana na matatizo ya mapema maishani. Watafiti waligundua kwamba gorilla waliokoka baada ya umri wa miaka sita walionyesha athari ndogo kutoka kwa shida walizokabili wakati wa utoto au kama vijana. Kwa kulinganisha, wanadamu wanakabiliwa na changamoto katika kuhusisha masuala ya afya ya watu wazima au kifo cha mapema kwa matukio maalum mabaya yaliyopatikana wakati wa maisha ya mapema kutokana na mambo mbalimbali ya tabia, mazingira, na kitamaduni. Kwa hivyo, kusoma matukio mabaya ya mapema katika spishi zisizo za binadamu, kama vile gorilla, inaweza kutoa ufahamu muhimu katika kuelewa athari zao kwa wanadamu na kupata njia za kupunguza athari zao. Watafiti wanasema kwamba uwezo wa gorilla wa kukabiliana na matatizo ya mapema katika maisha yaweza kuwa na matokeo makubwa kwa wanadamu. Kuelewa sababu za msingi za upinzani huu kunaweza kutoa masomo muhimu ya kushughulikia na kupunguza athari za shida za mapema katika maisha ya binadamu. Utafiti huo ulichunguza data za miaka 55 na kuzingatia kundi la gorilla wa milimani katika Hifadhi ya Taifa ya Volcanoes nchini Rwanda. Uchunguzi wa muda mrefu uliofanywa na Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund ulitoa habari nyingi kuhusu wanyama hao. Utafiti huo uligundua aina sita tofauti za matatizo ya maisha ya mapema yaliyopatikana na gorilla, ikiwa ni pamoja na kupoteza wazazi, kifo cha mwanachama wa kikundi kutokana na mauaji ya watoto, ukosefu wa utulivu wa kikundi cha kijamii, umri mdogo wa wenzao katika kikundi cha kijamii, na uwepo wa ndugu anayeshindana aliyezaliwa muda mfupi baada yao. Watafiti walichunguza athari za kutopata matukio yoyote, moja, mawili, au matatu au zaidi yasiyofaa. Matokeo yalionyesha kwamba gorilla waliopata matatizo mengi kabla ya umri wa miaka sita walikuwa na uwezekano mkubwa zaidi wa kufa wakiwa wachanga. Hata hivyo, ikiwa waliishi baada ya umri wa miaka sita licha ya matatizo ya mapema, maisha yao hayakupunguzwa, bila kujali idadi ya matukio mabaya waliyokabili. Kwa kushangaza, gorilla waliopata matatizo matatu au zaidi waliishi kwa muda mrefu zaidi, na kupunguza hatari ya kufa kwa asilimia 70 wakati wa utu uzima. Mwelekeo huu wa maisha marefu ulionekana hasa kwa wanaume, uwezekano wa kutokana na uteuzi wa uwezo wa kuishi. Utafiti huo unaonyesha kwamba gorila walio na nguvu za kutosha kuokoka matukio magumu ya maisha ya mapema huenda wakawa na sifa za hali ya juu ambazo huongeza muda wa kuishi. Matokeo ya utafiti huo yanapinga wazo kwamba athari mbaya za muda mrefu za shida za maisha ya mapema ni za ulimwengu kote kwa spishi, ikisisitiza hitaji la uelewa wa nuanced. Profesa Rosenbaum, mmoja wa waandishi wa utafiti huo, anasema kwamba dhana kuhusu watu wazima walioathiriwa baada ya shida za mapema hazipaswi kufanywa bila kuzingatia utata na utu wa kila kesi. Watafiti hao wanadokeza kwamba muundo wa kijamii wenye mshikamano mkubwa ndani ya vikundi vya gorilla waweza kuchangia uwezo wao wa kukabiliana na magonjwa. Hata wakati gorilla mchanga anapopoteza mama yake, washiriki wengine wa kikundi huingia ili kujaza pengo hilo, wakizuia kutengwa. Utafiti huu unaongeza kwa mwili unaokua wa utafiti unaochunguza athari za shida za maisha ya mapema na uvumilivu katika spishi mbalimbali. Kwa kuchunguza spishi zisizo za binadamu kama vile gorilla, wanasayansi hupata ufahamu muhimu ambao unaweza kuelimisha uelewa wetu wa maendeleo ya binadamu na mikakati ya kupunguza athari za shida za mapema. Gorilla ni mfano wa jinsi spishi fulani zinavyoweza kukabiliana na changamoto za mapema na kusitawi katika maisha ya watu wazima, na hivyo kupinga dhana za kawaida kuhusu matokeo ya muda mrefu ya kuathiriwa na hali ya hewa.