Does Being a Father Make You Less of a Man? What the Latest Research Has to Say
The phrase “a mother's instinct” has been used to explain how new mothers seem to instinctively know how to carry for their newborn babies. But now a new study from Northwestern University offers strong evidence that men are biologically wired to care for their infants as well. Not only that, but the most recent research conclusively shows for the first time that fatherhood
lowers male testosterone.
Nature knows raising a baby requires group effort. We see this in the animal kingdom all the time. Other species have males that help take care of offspring. We also know that testosterone strengthens traits and behaviors that help make males more competitive when it comes to finding a mate. However, once they find one and become fathers, those behaviors that are related to mating may clash with the responsibilities of fatherhood. For that reason, it's advantageous for the body to slow down the production of the hormone.
Christopher W. Kuzawa, associate professor anthropology and co-author of the study said, “Humans are unusual among mammals in that our offspring are dependent upon older individuals for feeding and protection for more than a decade. Raising human offspring is such an effort that it is cooperative by necessity, and our study shows that human fathers are biologically wired to help with the job.”
The role of testosterone in fatherhood. Though prior studies have...
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