Final answer:
Men may have an evolutionary preference for women able to bear children due to natural selection, but societal and personal factors highly influence this today, and reproductive technology has altered traditional fertility constraints.
Step-by-step explanation:
From an evolutionary perspective, it has been observed that men may have a preference for women with characteristics that signify fertility and the ability to bear offspring. This can partly be explained by the mechanisms of natural selection, similar to the case with female elk, where those able to carry a pregnancy were favored. In humans, historically, factors such as health and vitality, often associated with reproductive capabilities, were considered attractive because they suggested that the woman was more likely to bear healthy offspring. However, it is essential to acknowledge the complex human behaviors and societal influences that have significantly altered these evolutionary predispositions over time.
Transgender men are an example of how these evolutionary pressures are not absolute; they can become pregnant, demonstrating gender and reproductive capabilities are not strictly binary. Furthermore, advancing reproductive technologies have also played a significant role in redefining the traditional concepts of fertility and childbearing. For instance, if a woman has no viable eggs, assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) using donor eggs, can help her and her partner have a baby.
Today's decisions about pregnancy and childbirth are influenced not only by biological ability but also by personal choice, social, and environmental factors, such as the willingness to bring children into the current state of the world with its various challenges, including climate change.