[PapaBear3625]

Interesting. Read that the reason women live longer is to provide support for raising the grandchildren. Cause and effect is debatable but grandmothers performed an important role in the family back with life was tougher.

Keep in mind that women are fertile into their 40's, and thus might have young children of their own alongside their own grandchildren.

Fathers have important skills to pass along. The ability to form a good spear head or arrow point from flint is a skill that takes a while to learn, as is the ability to know likely places to find flint deposits, the best way to take down a multi-ton mammoth, etc.

[dhs12345]

Good point. But what about their mates. Excluding childbirth, there were more risks for a male — fighting and hunting.

What happens when their mates die? And what are the chances that they'd be able to find another mate?

Assumption: early/pre humans were monogamous and an elder female would be able to find a new mate.

Seems the “tribe” would end up with a lot of elder females.