4.0 Introduction
Who’s the daddy?
How many men are, without their knowledge, raising kids that didn’t come from their own sperm? Estimates vary wildly, from less than 1% to a scandalous 30%. Recent work with DNA testing puts the rate of “non-paternity” closer to 4% overall, with some studies citing less than 1% and others as much as 10%. Without their knowledge, these men may be investing time, money and affection in children they did not create. DNA paternity testing has become relatively common, and can be done with a simple and inexpensive kit purchased at many pharmacies.
DNA science has changed our lives dramatically. But what does “DNA science” mean? What is DNA? What does it do? And what role does DNA play in sex, evolution, and human behavior?
Content on this page was originally published in The Evolution and Biology of Sex by Sehoya Cotner & Deena Wassenberg and is reproduced here in compliance with the original CC-BY-NC 4.0 license.
