Alloparenting is a form of parenting that is not found often in the wild. With this type of care comes some costs, including the spending of time and energy for caring for another's offspring at your own expense with no direct benefits from it. This form of parenting is seen frequently among the human population. However, it is not as popular among other species. Alloparenting is rare among classes of animals such as birds and mammals, with only about 3% of mammals exhibiting this parenting style, but this does not mean it does not occur. In species that alloparent, it has been seen that offspring grow at faster rates and are often time weaned earlier.
