In order to properly pay homage to useful fatty blobs, one must comprehend
their unique and important function.

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 11/23/1984

Dear Cecil:

Is there any mammalian species where the males breastfeed

the young? The reason I ask is that the external mammary features of males
of the homo sapiens might be a vestige from a time when men actively
participated in childrearing. Needless to say, if men once had milk-
producing capability this would have far-reaching socio-sexuo-political
ramifications, to say nothing of the gossip value. --Genuinely Concerned,
Washington, D.C.

Cecil replies:

Sorry to put the kibosh on this idea, Gene, which

exhibits the sort of deranged inspiration Cecil loves,

but as far as anybody can tell, there is not now

and never has been a mammalian species in which the

males suckle their young. You bring up an interesting

subject, though, and one that confirms one of my pet epistemological
theories, namely, that for any conceivable question, no matter how bizarre,
there is some twisted genius somewhere who has devoted his life to
researching the answer. Just so with male lactation. The genius in this case
is one Martin Daly, a psychology professor at McMaster University in Canada.
In 1977 he wrote a monograph entitled "Why Don't Male Mammals Lactate?"
which I commend to all serious students of the subject.

For more, see:

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_321.html