Robinson discovered that these high oxytocin mother–pup partnerships resulted in the fattest pups, but without costing the mother additional calories (so it can’t just be that they’re drinking more milk). ‘If a pup’s got high oxytocin levels then it should be motivated to seek out its mother and stay with her, which means spending less energy running around the colony getting into trouble. The pup could also be getting some sort of microclimate benefit from sheltering right beside its mother in these cold colonies.’
