‘We see a huge range of plasticity in how much engagement there is in human males,’ says Richard Bribiescas. ‘So you can be the most doting and caring father, and everything is great and lovely, to a father that’s sort of engaged and maybe just brings food and resources home, to the ultimate, very horrific cases of things like infanticide.’ If society expects men to be involved in childcare, they are, and they can do it well. If society expects them to be hands-off, they can do that too. This plasticity is unique to humans. ‘In other great apes and other primates you simply don’t see that.
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