Great point. I think the story I have in mind is that there are lots of "normal" males and a few "exceptional" males. The exceptional males are genetically desirable mates to all the females, so much so that females are willing to mate with them even if they provide little or no support. But they are only willing to mate with normal male…
Great point. I think the story I have in mind is that there are lots of "normal" males and a few "exceptional" males. The exceptional males are genetically desirable mates to all the females, so much so that females are willing to mate with them even if they provide little or no support. But they are only willing to mate with normal males if they also protect and provide for the children. So you could end up with an equilibrium where females enter into pair-bond relationships with normal males and have children with them. A small number of exceptional males basically sneak around surreptitiously mating with all the females as well and mixing their offspring in among the offspring of the normal males. In this way, the few exceptional males could end up being vastly overrepresented genetically in the next generation.
If these exceptional males prefer breasts, then a preference for breasts will be selected for. If females with breasts are more likely to attract exceptional males, and the children of exceptional males are more likely to survive childhood, then having breasts will be selected for. Since many of the normal males are actually children of an exceptional male father, they too are likely to prefer breasts, which just reinforces the cycle.
So why might exceptional males prefer breasts in the first place? Well, it's a sign that the female is well-fed and breastfeeding (implying she is fertile, capable of surviving childbirth, and experienced raising children). Moreover, being well-fed and breastfeeding are a good sign that she is in a pair-bond with a normal male who is protecting her and supporting her children. This makes her an ideal mate for an exceptional male because it means his offspring will be cared for by a competent mother and be well protected and provided for by her pair-bond mate.
Great point. I think the story I have in mind is that there are lots of "normal" males and a few "exceptional" males. The exceptional males are genetically desirable mates to all the females, so much so that females are willing to mate with them even if they provide little or no support. But they are only willing to mate with normal males if they also protect and provide for the children. So you could end up with an equilibrium where females enter into pair-bond relationships with normal males and have children with them. A small number of exceptional males basically sneak around surreptitiously mating with all the females as well and mixing their offspring in among the offspring of the normal males. In this way, the few exceptional males could end up being vastly overrepresented genetically in the next generation.
If these exceptional males prefer breasts, then a preference for breasts will be selected for. If females with breasts are more likely to attract exceptional males, and the children of exceptional males are more likely to survive childhood, then having breasts will be selected for. Since many of the normal males are actually children of an exceptional male father, they too are likely to prefer breasts, which just reinforces the cycle.
So why might exceptional males prefer breasts in the first place? Well, it's a sign that the female is well-fed and breastfeeding (implying she is fertile, capable of surviving childbirth, and experienced raising children). Moreover, being well-fed and breastfeeding are a good sign that she is in a pair-bond with a normal male who is protecting her and supporting her children. This makes her an ideal mate for an exceptional male because it means his offspring will be cared for by a competent mother and be well protected and provided for by her pair-bond mate.