Do you believe in cheating?

[Angrboda]

I guess you could reduce this to biology, at least historically it took quite a big investment to get a child through to adulthood, so the task probably required both parents to be successful.

If I recall correctly, it did require a village to raise a child. If memory serves, there is evidence of multiple parenting in primitive societies in which kin would assist in the care of offspring, thus allowing members to be more productive overall and resulting in better parenting of the children. I'm also reminded of things like sleeping patterns and infant behavior which also play into the mix, with things like infant crying exerting enormous emotional effects on people who might be involved in the raising of the offspring. (Simply watching how adults respond to the presence of a baby, the games, the silly faces, and so on, demonstrate that the adaptations aren't all in the parent's behavior.)


(There's a special name for that type of parenting. Unfortunately I'm rearranging my bookshelves and am unable to track down the relevant material.)

In the weeks before birth, researchers have found, fathers have a 20% rise in their level of prolactin, the nurturing and lactation hormone. At the same time, their level of the stress hormone cortisol doubles, increasing sensitivity and alertness. Then, in the first weeks after birth, men's testosterone plummets by a third, while their estrogen level climbs higher than usual. These hormone changes prime their brains for emotionally bonding with their helpless little offspring. Men with lower testosterone levels actually hear the cries of babies better. They don't hear quite as well as moms, however, when babies whimper, for example, fathers are slower than mothers to respond, although they tend to react just as quickly when a baby screams. Men's lower testosterone levels also decrease their sex drive during this time.

— , Louann Brizendine