

Male lactation seems like an urban legend, albeit one with a long history – among other places, it's mentioned in the Talmud and Anna Karenina. But it's quite real.

Scientific American runs through the history and science of man milk, which males of many species are capable of producing (though only one, the Dayak fruit bat, actually does so.)

It's not clear whether this capacity once gave our own species an evolutionary boost, with our male ancestors – perhaps those who were injured and homebound – helping nurse the tribe's kids, or if lactation is a feature that both genders happen to share but is more pronounced in women.

Either way, one could imagine male lactation being very handy in the modern world, helping to balance the demands placed on working mothers.

Of course, the ick factor would be tough to overcome – I can just imagine bragging about this in an online personal ... "Reasons you should get to know me: I can lactate" – but if maybe if Brad Pitt pulls it off first....

Strange but True: Males Can Lactate [Scientific American]

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Image: Ronnie Osterberg*