FATHER A 'NEW' CONCEPT? DATA INDICATES NO CAVEMAN DADS.(Main)

Byline: Gayle Young

The perception of monogomous families living in caves millions of years ago may be based on modern biases and prehistoric man may not have even known he was a father, researchers said Thursday.

Instead, they said evidence points to early tribal structures where women and children comprised the 'family' with fathers added later, they said.

"It's very possible the association between intercourse and birth was not even made," said researcher and author Shere Hite of the Hite Research Center in New York. "So the whole idea of 'fatherhood' was unknown."

The researchers, mostly anthropologists, addressed the issue at a …