Offspring muscle mass increased with age in both males and females. However, chimpanzee offspring that lost their mother after they were already weaned had less muscle mass than those with living mothers. Furthermore, mothers of high social status measured by dominance rank, produced offspring with higher muscle mass. This study demonstrates how maternal presence and maternal social status can impact offspring phenotype in wild chimpanzees. Importantly, even once offspring are nutritionally independent, maternal loss has negative consequences on their growth.
— source Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology | Jan 7, 2020