The State Darwin Museum presents - Mother and Child Exhibition

Most fish species deposit eggs directly in the water and leave them immediately after spawning. The British ichthyologist Francis D. Ommanney commented on this breeding method: “Millions of unprotected eggs abandoned to their fate amid dangers of the ocean — what a wasteful way to continue the species.” However, some fish have “chosen” a new evolutionary way: they reduced the amount of eggs and started taking good care of them. The species having internal fertilization normally have the female take care of offspring, whereas species that make use of external fertilization put the male in charge of the new generation. Their care does not include the provision of food; therefore, a single parent is enough to protect eggs and young fish against predators and remove parasites.

Some fish species went as far as to carry their eggs in their mouths. A parent starves first carrying eggs in the mouth and then hiding baby fish there. Sometimes, mouthbrooders seem to be chewing something, but they only mix their eggs in their mouths to ensure a better oxygen supply.

The painting “A nesting site of eagles” was performed by the artist A. N. Komarov for the section “Evidence of evolution” on the subject “Problem of a species in terms of the variability of hunting birds.” The work illustrated age-specific changes in birds, according to A. F. Kots: “For a long time, eagles with white tails and dark plumage and those with dark tails and rusty plumage were treated as various species and referred to, respectively, as “berkut” and “kholzan” (both translated as “golden eagle”). However, continuous monitoring of the birds at nesting sites showed that they are in fact the same species, young birds having white tails and older ones having darker tails, meaning that every “kholzan” used to be a “berkut”…

The painting was performed by A. N. Komarov on commission of A. F. Kots for the section “Evidence of evolution” on the subject “Problem of a species in terms of the variability of hunting birds.” Three paintings had been planned: “A nesting site of peregrine falcons”, “A nesting site of eagles”, and “A nesting site of goshawks.” The paintings were supposed to demonstrate the similarity of plumage in young birds, which, according to A. F. Kots, proved that “they all are descendants of a single species that had this sort of attire with lengthwise ornaments.”

Unlike most other bird species, the brush turkey does not sit on its eggs, but digs them in the ground or black earth, were they develop using sunlight or heat generated by rotting plants. The male is responsible for maintaining the natural incubator.

In 1949, the artist A. N. Komarov created a series of three paintings on commission of A. F. Kots (“Ringdoves on their nest”, “Stock doves on their nest”, and “Blue hill pigeons on their nest”) for the section “Natural selection theory” on the subject “Origins of domesticated species (hens and doves).” According to A. F. Kots, these works were supposed to demonstrate that “…it is from the blue hill dove that all domesticated doves ultimately originated,” because the stock dove and ringdove differ from the blue hill dove by their nesting manner.

Great-crested grebes. These birds carry their offspring on their backs for two or three weeks after they hatch.

Flamingos live in large colonies and build a new nest every year. Both parents sit on eggs. Interestingly, the beaks of hatched chicks are straight and will curve just like those of their parents about two weeks after hatching. When their parents need to take long trips looking for food, chicks that have moved out of their nests congregate in large groups and are looked after by “mentors on duty.”

The most thoughtful and caring mothers are sometimes referred to as “sitters,” and for a good reason. If you happen to watch a hen and her chicks, you will certainly notice her touching care and 24/7 control of the yellow balls that are her chicks. If there is a slightest chance of danger, the hen will always cover her chicks with her wings.

A small bird is feeding the large fat chick. Tiny parents bring food to the enormous baby 200 to 300 times a day, and sometimes even more. But the baby is not theirs. His real mother is a cuckoo, who planted her egg in their nest two weeks ago and will never come back to visit. A series of extraordinary instincts and adaptation mechanisms helps cuckoos waive what is probably the most troublesome business of all — childrearing.

Amazingly, in some species it is the male that is responsible for sitting on eggs, as well as for nurturing and training chicks. The burden of parenthood is something that male ostriches, rhea, emu (and some other bird species) have to deal with almost exclusively. Female ostriches simply put eggs in front of the male, who carefully rolls them under his body. There can be up to 60 eggs in a single nest. However, even such a big daddy is unable to provide enough heat for all eggs, and some chicks die before they hatch.

Emperor penguins manage to breed in Antarctica, in most adverse conditions, when temperatures stay below minus 35°C for weeks. When a female lays a large white egg that weights about 500 grams, her “husband” places it on its legs and covers it with a special feathered fold on its tummy. He will starve for eight to ten weeks while heating the egg, because all females of the colony leave to find food by the sea. However, ladies return with their bags full. They have up to 4 kilograms of half-digested fish in their stomachs that they will use to feed their chicks.

In January–February, the female bear gives birth to blind and tiny cubs that weight up to 500 grams and look like small mittens. The mother warms them in her paws and breathes on them. In spring, when time comes to leave the lair, the cubs can see and walk. Bears that live in the Far East hand down their fishing skills from generation to generation. Mothers train their cubs where to fish and how to fish various fish species — the best place to ambush the humpback salmon is a riffle, and the chum salmon should be hunted at spawning sites and in springs.

The painting “A school of young wild goats” was performed by V. A. Vatagin in 1920 on commission of A. F. Kots for the “Zoopsychology section” of the museum on the subject “World of animal instincts” developed by N. N. Ladygina-Kots. A. F. Kots described the painting as follows: “Mother goat trains its kids to jump in their native mountains.”

Baby hippos often rest on their mothers’ backs, until they learn how to swim well. There is an opinion that this practice inspired the Europeans that saw hippos for the first time to name them Hippopotamus (the ancient Greek for “river horse”).

When watching apes you can often observe miracles of motherhood. An American center for primate studies once videotaped a most amazing episode. A newborn baby chimpanzee was not breathing. The mother placed it on the ground, opened its lips and pulled its tongue with her fingers. Then she put her mouth against the baby’s open lips and started breathing air into it. The baby came to life!

Gorillas are very tender, caring and patient parents. Even high-ranking grey-haired males allow babies to use themselves as playgrounds for jumping and climbing. If a young mother does not know what to do with its baby, another, more experienced female will certainly adopt it, feed it and care about it as if it were one of her own.

The painting “A female bear with cubs” was performed by A. N. Komarov based on his personal impressions following his meeting with bears: “Sunlight was fading. Shades were growing thicker… We had an old spruce forest on one side and a cutover patch on the other, covered in raspberry and willow weed, with giant mossy stumps. It was that peculiar time of the day when silence falls, and not a single rustle or whisper can be heard… A bear cub suddenly crossed the path, running from a rusty stump, and another one followed. Then the stump rose on its hind legs and started looking around. We froze, gazing at the large brown bear…”

Cheetahs are the fastest surface mammals, dangerous predators and tender parents. A female cheetah has from one to five cubs. Their father takes care of them, brings home food and is capable of taking over motherly duties if the female dies. Three-week-old baby cheetahs eat both milk and meat. The first eight months of their life are the most dangerous period. Their main enemies are lions, leopards, hyenas and wild dogs. More than half of all young cheetahs die before they turn one.