Diets derived from maize monoculture cause maternal infanticides in the endangered European hamster due to a vitamin B3 deficiency
Résumé
From1735to1940,maize-baseddietsledtothedeathofhundredsofthousands
of peoplefrompellagra,acomplexdiseasecausedbytryptophanandvitamin
B3 deficiencies.Thecurrentcerealmonoculturetrendrestrictsfarmland
animalstosimilarlymonotonousdiets.However,fewstudieshavedistin-
guishedtheeffectsofcropnutritionalpropertiesonthereproductionofthese
speciesfromthoseofotherdetrimentalfactorssuchaspesticidetoxicityor
agriculturalploughing.Thisstudyshowsthatmaize-baseddietscausehigh
ratesofmaternalinfanticidesintheEuropeanhamster,afarmlandspecieson
thevergeofextinctioninWesternEurope.VitaminB3supplementationis
showntoeffectivelyrestorereproductivesuccessinmaize-fedfemales.This
studypinpointshownutritionaldeficienciescausedbymaizemonoculture
couldaffectfarmlandanimalreproductionandhencetheirfitness.