In Nature, Plenty of Animals Pass the Paternity Test
Only six more days until the holiday of, "I love you, even though . . ."
You've seen the cards. The ones that go like:
When diapers needed changing
You rarely left your rocker
You didn't make us breakfast
Or pick us up from soccer
You never do the laundry
Let's face it, you're a cad
But we will always love you
Because you are our dad.
These affectionately disparaging greetings reflect a myth as old as fatherhood itself. Dads, be they animal or human, are natural-born deadbeats -- big on courtship, short on childrearing and ever on the lookout for the next big fling.
Evolutionary theory even offers a scientific explanation for this presumed paucity of paternal instinct. Mom knows that the newborn she just bore is her own, but Dad cannot be absolutely sure who sired that screaming bundle. If the primary directive is to propagate your genes, it may be smart to minimize familial investment and use your free time to sow more seed.
