Non-Western Folk Belief: Another Way To View Procreation

Science Blog -- Non-Western Folk Belief: Another Way To View Procreation: "The standard evolutionary scenario argues that these behaviors were replaced by an arrangement where men and women foraged for different resources and males provisioned females and their young in return for paternity certainty from females who were now receptive year round. However, this scenario assumes that the Western folk belief about how children are conceived is universal.

'Not only does the contrary idea of partible paternity exist in many South American groups, but these groups have managed to create societies where families exist and successfully raise children even though they have multiple fathers,' said Beckerman. 'In fact, there may be an evolutionary benefit to children in having more than one responsible father.'

Two previous studies indicate that children with multiple fathers have higher survival rates than children with only one recognized father. The secondary fathers accept a responsibility to the child and may supply meat or fish to the mother for the child, or protect the child from various childhood dangers."