biparental

Biparental is an adjective used in biology to describe phenomena that involve or originate from two parents. In general usage it refers to two-parent contributions to offspring, either biologically through two genetic contributors or behaviorally through the care provided by both parents. It is typically discussed in contrast to uniparental modes in which one parent contributes most, or all, of the care or genetic material.

Biparental care is common across many animal groups. In birds, for example, both adults commonly feed, protect, and teach their young. In some mammals, such as many primates and rodents, paternal care complements maternal care. The degree of biparental involvement is influenced by ecological conditions, mating systems, offspring vulnerability, and parental traits. When both parents invest heavily, offspring survival and development can improve, though parental costs rise for each caregiver.

In genetics, biparental inheritance refers to the transmission of genetic material from both parents. The offspring typically inherits a full set of nuclear DNA from each parent, producing a diploid genome. This contrasts with situations where one parent contributes less genetic material due to factors like skewed sex ratios or parental conflict, though such extremes are rare in most species.

In humans and other social species, biparental family structures are common and can support child development through resource sharing, social learning, and emotional support. Cultural, economic, and legal factors shape how parenting roles are distributed between parents and other caregivers.

Some contexts mention mitochondrial inheritance; mitochondria are usually inherited from the mother, but rare instances of biparental mitochondrial inheritance have been reported in some species and are a subject of ongoing study.