How has the stereotypical role of a women developed an evolutionary basis?

Since the beginning of time, women and men were on two different scales. Women are usually the housekeepers and did not have much say in society. Because they are the housekeepers and produce milk for their young this is an evolutionary basis.

For some animals there are males that produce milk or lactate, just as a woman does. I would consider this an evolutionary basis as well because this is usually something that happens in women. Or what should only happen in women.

Just as human women produce, there are other animals species who are able to produce as well. Although this is true, the reproductive system is different for all. Animals can reproduce more than one child at a time. For example a fish can have multiple babies at one time, but human women can only have one baby at a time or if they or their partner carry the gene, can have twins which isn’t as common in the human population. It’s also different with breastfeeding. There are some male animals who lactate and human men are able to lactate as well.

One of those animals is The Dayak fruit bat is a bat that produces milk, but this is a normal function of the bat. Also there is a male goat that produces milk on occasion. According to an article called Male Lacation by Professor Patty Stuart Macadam. Human men are able to lacate after having a baby suck on the nipple after several weeks. This shows the evolution of the human women role to it being passed on to men.

There are also other male mammals that do not lactate but have the role of the “stay at home,” the Deer Mice is one of these. According to NOVA Online, the Deer Mice guard the young while the other goes out to eat This shows how the roles of the partners can be switched up, for different reasons.

In human society, this is not the case with men. Men cannot reproduce but they are the reasons on why reproduction is possible. It shows how closely related we are with animals but how we are also different.

Further questions:

Why are there mammals that take on the role of the “stay at home” but are not able to lactate?

Why can the Dayak fruit bat lactate but not breast-feed? What is the propose?

Citations:

Comparison, By. "Statistics Bureau." Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/c02cont.htm>.

Shanley, Laura. "Milkmen: Fathers Who Breastfeed." Bornfree! Laura Shanley's Unassisted Childbirth Page. 27 Sept. 2007. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/miscarticles/milkmen.html>.