EARLIER this month, a UK team announced that it had created sperm in the lab, prompting renewed speculation about a future without men, plus the usual quips along the lines of 鈥渁 woman needs a man 鈥�. This week, a study has shown for the first time that fathers see a surge in the 鈥渃uddle chemical鈥� oxytocin after their child is born, while those with higher levels of the hormone play more with their kids. Meanwhile, studies in mice indicate that without fathers offspring grow up to be less sociable (see page 12). There are those who will overinterpret these tentative findings as proof of the need to maintain 鈥渢raditional鈥� family values and oppose adoption by same-sex couples. They are not. But, for men at least, biology is delivering a reassuring message: they have their uses.
The biology of fatherhood
After endless speculation about men being redundant, there's fresh evidence of their role in child rearing