ABSTRACT
This chapter explores whether father love—strong as it is—is of the same vintage as mother love. One way to assess this is to explore fatherhood among our mammalian and primate cousins. All animal species are equipped with neurohormonal mechanisms that facilitate their mating and parenting practices, whatever they may be. The hormonal surges of pregnancy prepare females for nurturing, but in species that exhibit paternal care males do not have that advantage. People know that males in some mammalian species are hormonally primed to become caring fathers, what about human fathers? There is little if any doubt that human males are similar to chimpanzee males in their apparent lack of interest in babies in general. No known society replaces the mother as the primary caregiver, but what about secondary caregiving, might that be just as valuable in some respects? Father love is of great importance, but it is different from mother love. Mother love is selfless, sacrificial, and complete.
