Paternal Care

Abstract

Paternal care describes behaviors performed by a father that benefit his perceived offspring. Paternal care in primates exhibits substantial variability and thus defies a single hypothesis to explain its evolution. Monogamous social organization, high maternal to infant weight ratio, territoriality, and reduced sexual dimorphism have frequently been associated with paternal care. However, despite the prevalence of these correlates in species exhibiting paternal care, they are neither necessary nor consistent in explaining the presence of paternal care among the various primate groups. Current evolutionary models focus on the relative reproductive success of both males and females to better understand the selecting factors favoring biparental care in primates. At a proximate level, most advances have been made in the study of the endocrinological bases of paternal care.