Welcome to a forgotten corner of the ancient forest.
Lost in the mists of prehistoric times a small family group of our predecessors are huddled in a cave living a precarious life. In this scenario the adult male of the group is a vital resource in the groups survival. There are periods when the female is pregnant or nursing very young children and cannot hunt for meat which is a vital component of their diet. During this time it is the male that carries the bulk of the responsibility for finding food.
So what happens when the male is killed. The group is in real trouble unless it can acquire another male. This is a period of great risk for the children of the first male. We know from primate behaviour, including our own, that these children are risk of being killed by the new male. A young girl, however, has an option that her brothers do not have.
If she enters puberty early she increases her chances of survival by being attractive either to the new male or by finding a mate of her own outside the family unit.
Evolutionary theory says that if something provides a greater chance of an individual surviving to reproduce, passing their genes to the next generation, then it will gradually become prevalent in the population. So it is with this characteristic in young females.
Research has shown that female children who live in a household where their father is absent enter pubity earlier than normal, have their first sexual encounter earlier, have children earlier, have more sexual partners and have a short duration of marriage. We don't why yet but it is hypothesised that pheromones may play a part. The pheromones of the new male triggering the early development.
The presence of the biological father in a young girls life is far more important than was once thought. For a girl to develop normally a loving and attendant biological father must be part of the family unit. To corrupt a phrase that was popular early in the feminist movement
"A girl needs a father like a fish needs a river"
There are many jewels hidden amongst the leaves in this forgotten part of the ancient forest. Spend some time browsing and you are sure to find some. Click here or continue your search below
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