Attachment and Parent-Offspring Conflict: Origins in Ancestral Contexts of Breastfeeding and Multiple Caregiving

This Element shows the understanding of ancestral environments to address the origins of infant-maternal attachment as a species-wide affectional bond. Separation protest and jealousy protest for securing exclusive, proximal contact with the mother are interpreted considering recognizing morbidity as the leading cause of infant mortality, and conditions were premature weaning and close birth-spacing exacerbated risk of morbidity, while the imperative source of breast milk fir infant health was an infant's mother. The affectional dimension of attachment considers its origination as a function of breastfeeding as practiced in ancestral settings. Breastfeeding behaviors are governed by infant bio-behavioral maturation, resulting in platforms for interacting with mothers that differ from those for interacting with alloparents. Implications of these distinctions are framed in terms of psychological adaptations and the potential for shaping distinctive types of attachment relationships and practical applications are suggested.