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A mammal in which males remain as care helpers. [10] Male mammals employ different behaviors to enhance their reproductive success (e.g. courtship displays, mate choice). However, the benefits of paternal care have rarely been studied in mammals, largely because only 5-10% of mammals exhibit such care (mostly present in primates, rodents and ...
In birds, this parental care system is generally attributed to the ability of male birds to engage in most parental behaviours, with the exception of egg-laying. Due to their endothermy and small size at birth, there is a huge pressure for infant birds to grow up quickly to prevent energy loss.
Although maternal care is essential in many classes of vertebrates, it is the most prevalent in mammals, since the care from the mother is essential for feeding and nourishing their young. [1] Because the care exhibited by the mother plays such a large role in mammals, the role of the male is often very limited.
Sexual selection is an evolutionary concept that has been used to explain why, in some species, male and female individuals behave differently in selecting mates. In 1930, Ronald Fisher wrote The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection, [3] in which he introduced the modern concept of parental investment, introduced the sexy son hypothesis, and introduced Fisher's principle.
When males are shown to care for offspring as well as females, it is referred to as bi-parental care. Bi-parental care may occur when there is a lower chance of survival of the offspring without male care. The evolution of this care has been associated with energetically expensive offspring. [16] Bi-parental care is exhibited in many avian ...
Studies have found that the father is a child's preferred attachment figure in approximately 5–20% of cases. [1] [2] [3] Fathers and mothers may react differently to the same behaviour in an infant, and the infant may react to the parents' behaviour differently depending on which parent performs it.
This additional boost in testosterone appears to facilitate male-male aggression, particularly during territory formation and mate guarding, and is also characterized by a lack of paternal care. [3] The challenge hypothesis has come to explain patterns of testosterone production as predictive of aggression across more than 60 species.
Male mammals of many species have been observed to lactate under unusual or pathogenic conditions, such as extreme stress, castration, and exposure to phytoestrogens, or pituitary tumors. Therefore, it is hypothesized that while most male mammals could easily develop the ability to lactate, there is no selective advantage to male lactation.