The testosterone levels in men apparently undergo a drop post fatherhood - that's what has recently been revealed in a study by scientists at Northwestern University in Chicago!

According to the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, even though `high' testosterone levels are linked with dominant and potentially violent behaviour, they are, nonetheless, also more likely to help men secure a partner as well as father children. However, once a man becomes a father, these testosterone levels appear to fall.

For the study, the scientists measured the testosterone levels of 624 Philippine men aged 21 years. It was found that men with higher testosterone levels at the beginning of the study had better chances of fathering children. But, after becoming fathers, their testosterone levels plummeted notably, vis-a-vis their bachelor counterparts who saw only modest age-related declines.

Though the study primarily underscores that fatherhood depletes a man's testosterone levels, the findings still also highlight the fact that men are evolutionarily wired to lend in a helping hand in raising their children, and that `high' testosterone levels may actually get in the way of that responsibility!

Noting that "it was the act of child-care that seemed to reduce testosterone," Lee Gettler - an anthropology doctoral student and one of the study's authors - said: "Our findings suggest that this is especially true for fathers who become the most involved with child care"!