Editing Father

{{short description|Male parent}}
{{pp-semi|small=yes}}
{{redirect-several|Father|Dad|Daddy|Fatherhood}}
[[File:Father's love (cropped).jpg|thumb|Father and child]]
A '''father''' is the [[male]] [[parent]] of a [[child]]. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. A '''biological father''' is the male genetic contributor to the creation of the [[infant]], through [[sexual intercourse]] or [[sperm donation]]. A biological father may have legal obligations to a child not raised by him, such as an obligation of monetary support. An '''adoptive father''' is a man who has become the child's parent through the legal process of [[adoption]]. A '''putative father''' is a man whose biological relationship to a child is alleged but has not been established. A '''[[stepfather]]''' is a non-biological male parent married to a child's preexisting parent and may form a family unit but generally does not have the legal rights and responsibilities of a parent in relation to the child.

The [[adjective]] "paternal" refers to a father and comparatively to "maternal" for a [[mother]]. The [[verb]] "to father" means to procreate or to sire a child from which also derives the noun "fathering". Biological fathers determine the sex of their child through a [[sperm]] cell which either contains an [[X chromosome]] (female), or [[Y chromosome]] (male).<ref>[http://www.uic.edu/classes/bms/bms655/lesson6.html HUMAN GENETICS, MENDELIAN INHERITANCE] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001027202429/http://www.uic.edu/classes/bms/bms655/lesson6.html |date=2000-10-27 }} retrieved 25 February 2012</ref> Related [[term of endearment|terms of endearment]] are ''dad'' (''dada'', ''daddy''), ''baba, papa'', ''pappa'', papasita, (''pa'', ''pap'') and ''pop''. A male role model that children can look up to is sometimes referred to as a ''father-figure''.

== Responsible and positive parenting ==
In today's world, the terms '''''responsible parenting''''' and '''''positive parenting''''' are often used.

[[UNICEF]] distinguishes the term ''positive parenting''.

'''''Positive parenting''''' is parenting that creates an environment conducive to child development that prioritizes healthy parent-child relationships.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Позитивне батьківство: про підхід у вихованні та як він впливає на розвиток дитини |url=https://www.unicef.org/ukraine/documents/positive-parenting-impact}}</ref> 

'''''Responsible parenting''''' is parenting that implies the fulfillment of the functions assigned to them by parents and is manifested in individual and social aspects, includes raising children, as well as taking into account the stage before the birth of a child, maintaining family relations with already adult children.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ushenko |first=Natalya |last2=Kozhemiakina |first2=Svitlana |last3=Tupika |first3=Alina |date=2024-12-31 |title=СОЦІАЛЬНІ ІННОВАЦІЇ ТА СОЦІАЛЬНА ВІДПОВІДАЛЬНІСТЬ: ЯК ЛЮДСЬКИЙ ЧИННИК ВПЛИВАЄ НА СТАЛИЙ РОЗВИТОК МІСТА |url=https://doi.org/10.32750/2024-0239 |journal=Європейський науковий журнал Економічних та Фінансових інновацій |volume=2 |issue=14 |pages=439–447 |doi=10.32750/2024-0239 |issn=2617-8648}}</ref>

==Paternal rights==
[[File:Stockholm pedestrian sign father and daughter.jpg|thumb|Stockholm pedestrian sign father and daughter]]
The [[paternity (law)|paternity]] rights of a father with regard to his children differ widely from country to country, often reflecting the level of involvement and roles expected by that society.

Unlike [[motherhood]], fatherhood is not mentioned in [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]].<ref>Berween M. International bills of human rights: an Islamic critique // The International Journal of Human Rights. – 2003. – V. 7. – №. 4. – p. 129-142.</ref>

;Paternity leave
[[Parental leave]] is when a father takes time off to support his newly born or adopted baby.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.babycenter.com/0_paternity-leave-what-are-the-options-for-dads_8258.bc |title=What is paternity leave? |access-date=2016-05-06 |archive-date=2020-06-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614025903/https://www.babycenter.com/0_paternity-leave-what-are-the-options-for-dads_8258.bc |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Paid paternity leave first began in [[Sweden]] in 1976, and is paid in more than half of [[European Union]] countries.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/04/18/mapped-paid-paternity-leave-across-the-euwhich-countries-are-the/ Mapped: Paid paternity leave across the EU...which countries are the most generous?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171124023905/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/04/18/mapped-paid-paternity-leave-across-the-euwhich-countries-are-the/ |date=2017-11-24 }} Published by The Telegraph, 18 April 2016</ref> In the case of male same-sex couples the law often makes no provision for either one or both fathers to take paternity leave.

;Child custody
[[Fathers' rights movement]]s, such as [[Fathers 4 Justice]], argue that family courts are biased against fathers.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1489547/Fathers-4-Justice-take-their-fight-for-rights-across-the-Atlantic.html Fathers 4 Justice take their fight for rights across the Atlantic] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210125319/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1489547/Fathers-4-Justice-take-their-fight-for-rights-across-the-Atlantic.html |date=2018-12-10 }} Published by The Telegraph, 8 May 2005</ref>

;Child support
[[Child support]] is an ongoing periodic payment made by one parent to the other; it is normally paid by the parent who does not have custody.

;Paternity fraud
An estimated 2% of British fathers experiences [[paternity fraud]] during a [[non-paternity event]], bringing up a child they wrongly believe to be their biological [[offspring]].<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/fatherhood/one-in-50-british-fathers-unknowingly-raise-another-mans-child/ One in 50 British fathers unknowingly raises another man's child] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321000810/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/parenting/one-in-50-british-fathers-unknowingly-raise-another-mans-child/ |date=2019-03-21 }} Published by The Telegraph, April 6, 2016</ref>

==Role of the father==
[[File:Father and child, Dhaka.jpg|thumb|Father and child, Dhaka, Bangladesh]]
In almost all cultures, fathers are regarded as secondary caregivers.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} This perception is slowly changing with more and more fathers becoming primary caregivers while mothers go to work, or in single parenting situations and male same-sex parenting couples.

=== Fatherhood in the Western World ===
[[File:Aiden-Seth-Haley-Singleton.jpg|left|thumb|A father and his children in Florida]]
In the West, the image of the married father as the primary wage-earner is changing. The social context of fatherhood plays an important part in the well-being of men and their children.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Garfield, CF, Clark-Kauffman, K, David, MM |title=Fatherhood as a Component of Men's Health |journal=Journal of the American Medical Association |date=Nov 15, 2006 |volume=296 |doi=10.1001/jama.296.19.2365 |pmid=17105800 |issue=19 |pages=2365–8|last2=Clark-Kauffman |last3=Davis }}</ref> In the [[United States]] 16% of single parents were men as of 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb13-ff13.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424015256/http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb13-ff13.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 24, 2013 |title=Facts for Features |access-date=October 25, 2013 }}</ref>

=== Importance of father or father-figure ===
Involved fathers offer developmentally specific provisions to their children and are impacted themselves by doing so. Active father figures may play a role in reducing behavior and psychological problems in young adults.<ref>{{Citation
 | last1 =McLanahan
 | first1 =Sara
 | last2 =Tach
 | first2 =Laura
 | last3 =Schneider
 | first3 =Daniel
 | title =The Causal Effects of Father Absence
 | journal =Annual Review of Sociology
 | volume =39
 | pages =399–427
 | year =2013
 | doi =10.1146/annurev-soc-071312-145704| pmid =24489431
 | pmc =3904543
 }}</ref> An increased amount of father–child involvement may help increase a child's social stability, educational achievement,<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Karberg|first1=Elizabeth|last2=Finocharo|first2=Jane|last3=Vann|first3=Nigel|date=2019|title=Father and Child Well-Being: A Scan of Current Research|url=https://www.fatherhood.gov/sites/default/files/resource_files/nrfc_brief_for_web_508.pdf|access-date=October 17, 2019|website=fatherhood.gov|publisher=National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse}}</ref>{{Rp|5}} and their potential to have a solid marriage as an adult. Their children may also be more curious about the world around them and develop greater problem-solving skills.<ref>United States. National Center for Fathering, Kansas City, MO. Partnership for Family Involvement in Education. [http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/calltocommit/fathers.pdf A Call to Commitment: Fathers' Involvement in Children's Learning] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217184152/https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/parents/calltocommit/fathers.pdf |date=2020-02-17 }}. June 2000</ref>  Children who were raised with fathers perceive themselves to be more cognitively and physically competent than their peers without a father.<ref name="Fatherless">{{cite journal | pmid = 9363577 | volume=38 | issue=7 | title=Children raised in fatherless families from infancy: family relationships and the socioemotional development of children of lesbian and single heterosexual mothers | journal=J Child Psychol Psychiatry | pages=783–91 | last1 = Golombok | first1 = S | last2 = Tasker | first2 = F | last3 = Murray | first3 = C | doi=10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01596.x| year=1997 }}</ref>  Mothers raising children together with a father reported less severe disputes with their child.<ref name="Fatherless Followup">{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00324.x|pmid = 15482501|title = Children raised in fatherless families from infancy: A follow-up of children of lesbian and single heterosexual mothers at early adolescence|journal = Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry|volume = 45|issue = 8|pages = 1407–1419|year = 2004|last1 = MacCallum|first1 = Fiona|last2 = Golombok|first2 = Susan}}</ref>

The father-figure is not always a child's biological father, and some children will have a biological father as well as a step- or nurturing father. When a child is conceived through sperm donation, the donor will be the "biological father" of the child.

[[Fatherhood]] as legitimate identity can be dependent on domestic factors and behaviors. For example, a study of the [[Interpersonal relationship|relationship]] between fathers, their sons, and home computers found that the construction of fatherhood and [[masculinity]] required that fathers display computer expertise.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ribak|first=Rivka|title="Like immigrants": negotiating power in the face of the home computer|journal=New Media & Society|year=2001|volume=3|issue=2|pages=220–238|doi=10.1177/1461444801003002005|s2cid=8179638}}</ref>

==Determination of parenthood==
[[File:Rosenzweig Paternal love.jpg|thumb|200px|left|''Paternal love'' (1803) by [[Nanette Rosenzweig]], [[National Museum, Warsaw|National Museum]] in [[Warsaw]]]]

[[Roman law]] defined fatherhood as "Mater semper certa; pater est quem nuptiae demonstrant" ("The [identity of the] mother is always certain; the father is whom the marriage vows indicate"). The recent emergence of accurate scientific testing, particularly [[DNA testing]], has resulted in the [[family law]] relating to fatherhood experiencing rapid changes.

== History of fatherhood ==
[[File:BritaAndI Selfportrait.jpg|thumb|Painter [[Carl Larsson]] playing with his laughing [[daughter]] Brita]]

Many male animals do not participate in the rearing of their young. The development of human men as creatures which are involved in their offspring's upbringing took place during the stone age.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/the-first-stay-at-home-dad|title=Why ancient men had to evolve from carousers to doting dads — or die|first=Emma|last=Betuel|website=Inverse|date=21 June 2020 }}</ref>

In medieval and most of modern European history, caring for children was predominantly the domain of mothers, whereas fathers in many societies provide for the family as a whole. Since the 1950s, social scientists and feminists have increasingly challenged gender roles in Western countries, including that of the male breadwinner. Policies are increasingly targeting fatherhood as a tool of changing gender relations.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Bjørnholt | first1 = M. | author-link1 = Margunn Bjørnholt | year = 2014 | title = Changing men, changing times; fathers and sons from an experimental gender equality study | url = http://www.margunnbjornholt.no/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Changing-men-changing-times-fathers-and-sons-from-an-experimental-gender-equality-study.pdf | journal = [[The Sociological Review]] | volume = 62 | issue = 2 | pages = 295–315 | doi = 10.1111/1467-954X.12156 | s2cid = 143048732 | access-date = 2016-05-21 | archive-date = 2018-10-21 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181021020857/http://www.margunnbjornholt.no/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Changing-men-changing-times-fathers-and-sons-from-an-experimental-gender-equality-study.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref> Research from various societies suggest that since the middle of the 20th century fathers have become increasingly involved in the care of their children.<ref name=":11">{{Cite news|last=University of California, Irvine|date=September 28, 2016|title=Today's parents spend more time with their kids than moms and dads did 50 years ago|work=Science Daily|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160928160716.htm|access-date=November 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Livingston|first1=Gretchen|last2=Parker|first2=Kim|date=19 June 2019|title=8 facts about American dads|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/12/fathers-day-facts/|access-date=2022-02-02|website=Pew Research Center|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Blamires|first1=Diana|last2=Kirkham|first2=Sophie|date=17 August 2005|title=Fathers play greater role in childcare|url=http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/17/gender.children|access-date=2022-02-02|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Huerta|first1=Maria C.|last2=Adema|first2=Willem|last3=Baxter|first3=Jennifer|last4=Han|first4=Wen-Jui|last5=Lausten|first5=Mette|last6=Lee|first6=RaeHyuck|last7=Waldfogel|first7=Jane|date=16 December 2014|title=Fathers' Leave and Fathers' Involvement: Evidence from Four OECD Countries|journal=European Journal of Social Security|volume=16|issue=4|pages=308–346|doi=10.1177/138826271401600403|issn=1388-2627|pmc=5415087|pmid=28479865}}</ref>

==Patricide==
In early human history there have been notable instances of [[patricide]]. For example:
* [[Tukulti-Ninurta I]] (r. 1243–1207 B.C.E.), [[Assyria]]n king, was killed by his own son after sacking [[Babylon]].
* [[Sennacherib]] (r. 704–681 B.C.E.), [[Assyria]]n king, was killed by two of his sons for his desecration of [[Babylon]].
* King [[Kassapa I]] (473 to 495 CE) creator of the Sigiriya citadel of ancient Sri Lanka killed his father king Dhatusena for the throne.
* [[Emperor Yang of Sui#Did Emperor Yang kill Emperor Wen.3F|Emperor Yang of Sui]] in Chinese history allegedly killed his father, [[Emperor Wen of Sui]].
* [[Beatrice Cenci]], Italian noblewoman who, according to legend, killed her father after he imprisoned and raped her. She was condemned and beheaded for the crime along with her brother and her stepmother in 1599.
* [[Lizzie Borden]] (1860–1927) allegedly killed her father and her stepmother with an axe in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1892. She was acquitted, but her innocence is still disputed.
* [[Iyasus I of Ethiopia]] (1654–1706), one of the great warrior emperors of Ethiopia, was deposed by his son [[w:Tekle Haymanot I of Ethiopia|Tekle Haymanot]] in 1706 and subsequently assassinated.

In more contemporary history there have also been instances of father–offspring conflicts, such as:

* [[Chiyo Aizawa]] (born 1939) murdered her own father who had been [[rape|raping]] her for fifteen years, on October 5, 1968, in Japan. The incident changed the [[Criminal Code of Japan]] regarding patricide.
* [[Kip Kinkel]] (born 1982), an [[Oregon]] boy who was convicted of killing his parents at home and two fellow students at school on May 20, 1998.
* [[Sarah Marie Johnson]] (born 1987), an [[Idaho]] girl who was convicted of killing both parents on the morning of September 2, 2003.
* [[Dipendra of Nepal]] (1971–2001) reportedly massacred much of his family at a royal dinner on June 1, 2001, including his father [[King Birendra]], mother, brother, and sister.
* [[Christopher Porco]] (born 1983), was convicted on August 10, 2006, of the murder of his father and attempted murder of his mother with an axe.

==Terminology==

===Biological fathers===
[[File:Paternal bonding between father and newborn daughter.jpg|thumb|280px|alt=Father holding daughter in swaddling clothes|[[Paternal bond]]ing between a father and his newborn daughter]]
[[File:Father and son 27.jpg|thumb|280px|upright|Father and son]]
[[File:Isabel e Pedro II 1870.jpg|thumb|Emperor [[Pedro II of Brazil]] with his daughter [[Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil|Isabel, Princess Imperial]], {{Circa|1870}}. She acted as regent of the [[Empire of Brazil]] for three times during her father's absences abroad.<ref>{{cite web|author=Sciulo, Marília Mara|title=Princesa Isabel: 6 fatos para entender o papel da regente na história|url=https://revistagalileu.globo.com/Sociedade/Historia/noticia/2021/11/princesa-isabel-6-fatos-para-entender-o-papel-da-regente-na-historia.html|date=14 November 2021|language=pt|access-date=13 November 2022}}</ref>]]
* '''Baby Daddy'''{{spaced ndash}}a biological father who bears financial responsibility for a child, but with whom the mother has little or no contact.
* '''Birth father'''{{spaced ndash}}the biological father of a child who, due to adoption or parental separation, does not raise the child or cannot take care of one.
* '''Biological father'''{{spaced ndash}} or sometimes simply referred to as "Father" is the genetic father of a child.
* '''Posthumous father'''{{spaced ndash}}father died before children were born (or even conceived in the case of [[artificial insemination]]).
* '''Putative father'''{{spaced ndash}}unwed man whose legal relationship to a child has not been established but who is alleged to be or claims that he may be the biological father of a child.<ref name="CWIG2">{{cite news |author=Child Welfare Information Gateway |date=30 June 2010 |title=The Rights of Unmarried Fathers |work=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |url=http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/putative.cfm |access-date=10 March 2023 |archive-date=5 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105215316/https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/putative/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bouvier |first1=John |title=Bouvier's Law Dictionary |date=1987 |publisher=The Boston Book Company |location=Boston}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lehman |first1=Jeffrey |title=West's Encyclopedia of American Law, Vol. 8 |last2=Phelps |first2=Shirelle |date=2005 |publisher=Thomson/Gale |isbn=9780787663742 |edition=2 |location=Detroit |page=192}}</ref>
* '''[[Sperm donor]]'''{{spaced ndash}}an anonymous or known biological father who provides his sperm to be used in artificial insemination or [[in vitro fertilisation]] in order to father a child for a third-party female. Also used as a slang term meaning "baby daddy".
* '''Surprise father'''{{spaced ndash}}where the men did not know that there was a child until possibly years afterward
* '''Teenage father/youthful father'''{{spaced ndash}}father who is still a teenager.

===Non-biological (social and legal relationship)===
* '''Adoptive father'''{{spaced ndash}}the father who has [[adopted]] a child
* '''[[Cuckolded]] father'''{{spaced ndash}}where the child is the product of the mother's [[adultery|adulterous relationship]]
* '''DI Dad'''{{spaced ndash}}social/legal father of children produced via Donor Insemination (where a donor's sperm were used to impregnate the DI Dad's partner)
* '''Father-in-law'''{{spaced ndash}}the father of one's spouse
* '''Foster father'''{{spaced ndash}}child is raised by a man who is not the biological or adoptive father
* '''Mother's partner'''{{spaced ndash}}assumption that current partner fills father role
* '''Mother's husband'''{{spaced ndash}}under some jurisdictions (e.g., in [[Civil Code of Quebec|Quebec civil law]]), if the mother is married to another man, the latter will be defined as the father
* '''Presumed father'''{{spaced ndash}}where a [[presumption of paternity]] has determined that a man is a child's father regardless of if he actually is or is not the biological father
* '''Social father'''{{spaced ndash}}where a man takes ''[[de facto]]'' responsibility for a child, such as caring for one who has been abandoned or orphaned (the child is known as a "child of the family" in English law)
* '''Stepfather'''{{spaced ndash}}a married non-biological father where the child is from a previous relationship

===Fatherhood defined by contact level===
* '''Absent father'''{{spaced ndash}}father who cannot or will not spend time with his child(ren)
* '''Second father'''{{spaced ndash}}a non-parent whose contact and support is robust enough that near parental bond occurs (often used for older male siblings who significantly aid in raising a child, sometimes for older men who took care of younger friends (only males) who have no families)
* '''[[Stay-at-home dad]]'''{{spaced ndash}}the male equivalent of a [[housewife]] with child, where his spouse is breadwinner
* '''Weekend/holiday father'''{{spaced ndash}}where child(ren) only stay(s) with father on weekends, holidays, etc.

==Non-human fatherhood==
For some animals, it is the fathers who take care of the young.
* [[Darwin's frog]] (''Rhinoderma darwini'') fathers carry eggs in the vocal pouch.
* Most male [[waterfowl]] are very protective in raising their offspring, sharing scout duties with the female. Examples are the [[geese]], [[swan]]s, [[gull]]s, [[loon]]s, and a few species of [[duck]]s. When the families of most of these waterfowl travel, they usually travel in a line and the fathers are usually the ones guarding the offspring at the end of the line while the mothers lead the way.
* The female [[seahorse]] (''Hippocampus'') deposits eggs into the pouch on the male's abdomen. The male releases sperm into the pouch, fertilizing the eggs. The embryos develop within the male's pouch, nourished by their individual yolk sacs.
* Male [[catfish]] keep their eggs in their mouth, foregoing eating until they hatch.
* Male [[emperor penguin]]s alone incubate their [[egg (biology)|eggs]]; females do no incubation. Rather than building a [[nest]], each male protects his egg by balancing it on the tops of his feet, enclosed in a special brood pouch. Once the eggs are hatched, the females will rejoin the family.
* Male [[beaver]]s secure their offspring along with the females during their first few hours of their lives. As the young beavers mature, their fathers will teach them how to search for materials to build and repair their own dams, before they disperse to find their own mates.
* [[Wolf]] fathers help feed, protect, and play with their pups. In some cases, several generations of wolves live in the pack, giving pups the care of grandparents, aunts/uncles, and siblings, in addition to parents. The father wolf is also the one who does most of the hunting when the females are securing their newborn pups.
* [[Coyote]]s are monogamous and male coyotes hunt and bring food to their young.
* [[Dolphin]] fathers help in the care of the young. Newborns are held on the surface of the water by both parents until they are ready to swim on their own.
* A number of [[bird]] species have active, caring fathers who assist the mothers, such as the waterfowls mentioned above.
* Apart from [[human]]s, fathers in few [[primate]] species care for their young. Those that do are [[tamarin]]s and [[marmoset]]s.<ref name="Fernandez-Duque">{{cite journal | last1 = Fernandez-Duque | first1 = E | last2 = Valeggia | first2 = CR | last3 = Mendoza | first3 = SP | s2cid = 51896336 | year = 2009 | title = Biology of Paternal Care in Human and Nonhuman Primates | journal = Annu. Rev. Anthropol. | volume = 38 | pages = 115–30 | doi = 10.1146/annurev-anthro-091908-164334 | hdl = 11336/104368 | hdl-access = free }}</ref> Particularly strong care is also shown by [[siamang]]s where fathers carry infants after their second year.<ref name="Fernandez-Duque"/> In [[titi monkey|titi]] and [[owl monkey]]s fathers carry their infants 90% of the time with "titi monkey infants developing a preference for their fathers over their mothers".<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Mendoza | first1 = SP | last2 = Mason | first2 = WA | year = 1986 | title = Parental division of labour and differentiation of attachments in a monogamous primate (Callicebus moloch) | journal = Anim. Behav. | volume = 34 | issue = 5| pages = 1336–47 | doi=10.1016/s0003-3472(86)80205-6| s2cid = 53159072 }}</ref> [[Silverback gorilla]]s have less role in the families but most of them serve as an extra protecting the families from harm and sometimes approaching enemies to distract them so that his family can escape unnoticed.

Many species,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Kokko |first1=Hanna |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/25631/chapter-abstract/193036627?redirectedFrom=fulltext |title=The Evolution of Parental Care |last2=Jennions |first2=Michael D. |publisher=[[Oxford Academic]] |year=2012 |editor-last=Royle |editor-first=Nick J. |pages=101–116 |language=en |chapter=Sex differences in parental care}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Woodroffe |first1=R. |last2=Vincent |first2=A. |date=August 1994 |title=Mother's little helpers: Patterns of male care in mammals |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21236858/ |journal=Trends in Ecology & Evolution |volume=9 |issue=8 |pages=294–297 |doi=10.1016/0169-5347(94)90033-7 |issn=0169-5347 |pmid=21236858}}</ref> though, display little or no paternal role in caring for offspring. The male leaves the female soon after mating and long before any offspring are born. It is the females who must do all the work of caring for the young.
* A male [[bear]] leaves the female shortly after mating and will kill and sometimes eat any bear cub he comes across, even if the cub is his. Bear mothers spend much of their cubs' early life protecting them from males. (Many artistic works, such as [[advertisement]]s and [[cartoon]]s, depict kindly "papa bears" when this is the exact opposite of reality.)
* Domesticated [[dog]] fathers show little interest in their offspring, and unlike wolves, are not monogamous with their mates and are thus likely to leave them after mating.
* Male [[lion]]s will tolerate cubs, but only allow them to eat meat from dead prey after they have had their fill. A few are quite cruel towards their young and may hurt or kill them with little provocation.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Pusey |first1=Anne E. |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/mono/10.4324/9781315539133-22/infanticide-lions-consequences-counterstrategies-stefano-parmigiani-frederick-vom-saal |title=Infanticide And Parental Care |last2=Packer |first2=Craig |publisher=Harwood Academic |year=1994 |editor-last=Parmigiani |editor-first=Stefano |language=en |chapter=Infanticide in Lions: Consequences and Counterstrategies |doi=10.4324/9781315539133-22 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |isbn=978-1-315-53913-3 |editor-last2=Saal |editor-first2=Frederick vom}}</ref> A male who kills another male to take control of his pride will also usually kill any cubs belonging to that competing male. However, it is also the males who are responsible for guarding the pride while the females hunt. However, the male lions are the only felines that actually have a role in fatherhood.
* Male rabbits generally tolerate kits but unlike the females, they often show little interest in the kits and are known to play rough with their offspring when they are mature, especially towards their sons. This behaviour may also be part of an instinct to drive the young males away to prevent incest matings between the siblings. The females will eventually disperse from the warren as soon as they mature but the father does not drive them off like he normally does to the males.
* [[Horse]] stallions and [[Domestic pig|pig]] boars have little to no role in parenting, nor are they monogamous with their mates. They will tolerate young to a certain extent, but due to their aggressive male nature, they are generally annoyed by the energetic exuberance of the young and may hurt or even kill the young. Thus, stud stallions and boars are not kept in the same pen as their young or other females.

Finally, in some species neither the father nor the mother provides any care.
* This is true for most [[insect]]s, [[reptile]]s, and [[fish]].

==See also==
* [[Father complex]]
* [[Fathers' rights movement]]
* [[Father's Day]]
* [[Mother]]
* [[Nuclear family]]
* [[Paternal age effect]]
* [[Paternal bond]]
* [[Putative father]]
* [[Putative father registry]]
* [[Patriarch]]
* [[Patricide]]
* [[Parenting]]
* [[Responsible fatherhood]]
* [[Shared Earning/Shared Parenting Marriage]]
* [[Sociology of fatherhood]]
* [[Sky father]]
* [[Single parent]]
*"Father" can also refer metaphorically to a person who is considered the founder of a body of knowledge or of an institution. In such context the meaning of "father" is similar to that of "founder". See [[List of persons considered father or mother of a field]].

==Further reading==
* {{cite web |title=The riddle of how humans evolved to have fathers |date=27 Jun 2021 |author=Elizabeth Preston |website=[[Knowable Magazine]] / BBC.com |url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{cite book | editor-last = Inhorn | editor-first = Marcia C. | editor-last2 = Chavkin | editor-first2 = Wendy | editor-last3 = Navarro | editor-first3 = José-Alberto | title = Globalized fatherhood | publisher = Berghahn | location = New York | year = 2015 | isbn = 9781782384373 }} Studies by anthropologists, sociologists, and cultural geographers - 
* {{cite journal | last1 = Kraemer | first1 = Sebastian | year = 1991 | title = The Origins of Fatherhood: An Ancient Family Process | journal = [[Family Process (journal)|Family Process]] | volume = 30 | issue = 4| pages = 377–392 | doi = 10.1111/j.1545-5300.1991.00377.x | pmid=1790784 }}
* {{cite book | last = Diamond | first = Michael J. | title = My father before me : how fathers and sons influence each other throughout their lives | publisher = W.W. Norton | location = New York | year = 2007 | isbn = 9780393060607 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/myfatherbeforeme00diam }}
* {{cite journal | last = Collier | first = Richard |title= Rethinking men and masculinities in the contemporary legal profession: the example of fatherhood, transnational business masculinities, and work-life balance in large law firms | journal = Nevada Law Journal | volume = 13 | issue = 2 | page = 7 | url = http://scholars.law.unlv.edu/nlj/vol13/iss2/7 | date = 2013 }}

{{Family}}
{{Parenting}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Family]]
[[Category:Fatherhood| ]]
[[Category:Terms for men]]