Editing Primate (section)

===Life history===
[[File:Bonnet macaque nursing, Bangalore.jpg|A [[crab-eating macaque]] breastfeeding her baby|thumb]]
Primates have slower rates of development than other mammals. All primate infants are [[breastfeeding|breastfed]] by their mothers (with the exception of some human cultures and various zoo raised primates which are fed formula) and rely on them for grooming and transportation. In some species, infants are protected and transported by males in the group, particularly males who may be their fathers. Other relatives of the infant, such as siblings and aunts, may participate in its care as well. Most primate mothers cease [[ovulation]] while breastfeeding an infant; once the infant is [[Weaning|weaned]] the mother can reproduce again. This often leads to weaning conflict with infants who attempt to continue breastfeeding.<ref name="Strier2007" />

[[Infanticide in primates|Infanticide]] is common in polygynous species such as [[gray langur]]s and gorillas. Adult males may kill dependent offspring that are not theirs so the female will return to estrus and thus they can sire offspring of their own. Social monogamy in some species may have evolved to combat this behavior.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Opie, Christopher |author2=Atkinson, Quentin D. |author3=Dunbarc, Robin I. M. |author4=Shultz, Susanne |year=2013|title=Male infanticide leads to social monogamy in primates|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|volume=110|issue=33|pages=13328–13332|doi=10.1073/pnas.1307903110|pmid=23898180 |pmc=3746880|bibcode=2013PNAS..11013328O|doi-access=free }}</ref> Polygynandry may also lessen the risk of infanticide since paternity becomes uncertain.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=De Ruiter, Jan R.|author2= Van Hooff, Jan A. R. A. M.|author-link2=Jan van Hooff|author3=Scheffrahn, Wolfgang |name-list-style=amp |year=1994|title=Social and genetic aspects of paternity in wild long-tailed macaques (''Macaca fascicularis'')|journal=Behaviour|volume=129|issue=3–4|pages=203–24|jstor=4535195|doi=10.1163/156853994x00613}}</ref>

Primates have a longer [[Juvenile (organism)|juvenile]] period between weaning and sexual maturity than other mammals of similar size.<ref name="Strier2007" /> Some primates such as [[galago]]s and [[New World monkey]]s use tree-holes for [[Nest-building in primates|nesting]], and park juveniles in leafy patches while foraging. Other primates follow a strategy of "riding", i.e. carrying individuals on the body while feeding. Adults may construct or use nesting sites, sometimes accompanied by juveniles, for the purpose of resting, a behavior which has developed secondarily in the great apes.<ref name="Kappeler1998">{{cite journal |last1=Kappeler |first1=Peter M. |year=1998 |title=Nests, Tree Holes, and the Evolution of Primate Life Histories |journal=American Journal of Primatology |issue=1 |pages=7–33 |pmid=9730211 |doi=10.1002/(SICI)1098-2345(1998)46:1<7::AID-AJP3>3.0.CO;2-# |volume=46|s2cid=196589387 }}</ref><ref name="Ross2001">{{cite journal |last1=Ross |first1= Caroline|year=1991 |title=Park or ride? Evolution of infant carrying in primates. |journal=International Journal of Primatology |publisher=Kluwer Academic Publishing |volume=22 |issue=5 |pages=749–771 |doi=10.1023/A:1012065332758|s2cid= 25301078}}</ref> During the juvenile period, primates are more susceptible than adults to [[predation]] and [[starvation]]; they gain experience in feeding and avoiding predators during this time.<ref name="Strier2007" /> They learn social and fighting skills, often through playing.<ref name="Strier2007" /> Primates, especially females, have longer lifespans than other similarly sized mammals,<ref name="Strier2007" /> this may be partially due to their slower metabolisms.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/humans-primates-burn-50-percent-fewer-calories-each-day-other-mammals-1539866 |title=Humans And Primates Burn 50 Percent Fewer Calories Each Day Than Other Mammals |last1=Mintz |first1=Zoe |date=14 January 2014 |website=www.ibtimes.com |publisher=IBT Media Inc. |access-date=2014-01-14}}</ref> Late in life, female catarrhine primates appear to undergo a cessation of reproductive function known as [[menopause]]; other groups are less studied.<ref name="MLWalker2">{{cite journal | author = Walker ML, Herndon JG | title = Menopause in nonhuman primates? | journal = Biology of Reproduction | volume = 79 | pages = 398–406 | year = 2008 | pmid = 18495681 | doi = 10.1095/biolreprod.108.068536 | issue = 3 | pmc=2553520 | last2 = Herndon}}</ref>