Hypothetical about mammals and mammaries

[Aliantha]

Would more men get breast cancer?

[infinite monkey]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Would more men get breast cancer?

If that happened, they'd have eradicated it years ago.

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

The question is, what triggers the lactation in a man? In women, currently, hormones released by the placenta begin the series of events that ultimately lead to the woman's body knowing it is time to lactate. After that it is only a positive feedback loop that keeps it going--stop draining the boobs regularly, and the milk production will stop.

It wouldn't be very "selfish gene" of them if men's bodies started producing milk any time they saw any baby. Maybe the baby could produce a pheromone that the man's body would recognize as genetically his own. But that could lead to serious societal problems. Being able to hide or misidentify the father is one of women's evolutionary strengths.

In a tribal situation, it could well turn out that males - and maybe the females too - would breastfeed any young of their own tribe. It is to a genome's benefit to be generous to any reasonably closely related individual unless it is definitely not to that genome's benefit (as where lions often kill the cubs of other lions to enable the lionesses to start breeding again more quickly).

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Would more men get breast cancer?

That would have been cured by now.

ETA: I see one of my fellow cynics beat me to it.