 | This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (December 2023) |
Changing hormone levels during pregnancy and postpartum as well as parental experience cause changes in the parental brain. Both the father and mother undergo distinct biological changes as they transition to parents, but the changes that occur in the paternal brain are not as well studied. Similar to the changes that occur in the maternal brain, the same areas of the brain (amygdala, hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex, olfactory bulb etc.) are activated in the father, and hormonal changes occur in the paternal brain to ensure display of parenting behavior. In only 5% of mammalian species, including humans, the father plays a significant role in caring for his young. Paternal caregiving has independently evolved multiple times in mammals, and can appear in some species under captivity.[1]
Paternal behavior in humans takes many forms, including feeding, carrying, and playing with one's child.[2]
- ^ Rilling, James K; Mascaro, Jennifer S (2017). "The neurobiology of fatherhood". Current Opinion in Psychology. 15: 26–32. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.02.013. PMID 28813264.
- ^ Storey, Anne E.; Ziegler, Toni E. (2016-01-01). "Primate paternal care: Interactions between biology and social experience". Hormones and Behavior. Parental Care. 77: 260–271. doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.07.024. ISSN 0018-506X. PMC 4968077. PMID 26253726.