US EditionJust how monogamous are humans? Scientists break down how we compare with other animals
Humans rank seventh in monogamy among mammals with a 66% rating, based on genetic and ethnographic data from 94 societies analyzed by University of Cambridge researchers.
- On Wednesday, the University of Cambridge team led by Mark Dyble reported humans average a 66% monogamy rating, ranking seventh of 11 socially monogamous species in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
- Using sibling proportions, the researchers built a computational model comparing full siblings vs half-siblings to calculate monogamy rates, with Dyble analyzing data from 94 human societies.
- Among species compared, beavers led with 72% monogamy, humans at 66%, and meerkats at 60%, with dolphins and chimpanzees at 4% and mountain gorillas at 6%.
- Borgerhoff Mulder cautioned that `It turns out that monogamous mating can drive significant inequalities among women`, highlighting the need for further testing of biparental care models.
- Together with prior multi-author work, the Cambridge analysis complements the May 22 UC Davis-led study, which analyzed data from 90 populations and over 100 researchers, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
25 Articles
25 Articles
According to evolution anthropologists, two out of three children come from the same parents. Even the most promiscuous human cultures are monogamous than many other mammal species.
Humans are more monogamous than meerkats, but less so than beavers, according to a new British study. The study also reveals that a whopping 66 percent of all human siblings are "full relatives," meaning they have the same parents.
Only nine percent of all mammals live monogamously. Man belongs to it, but only ranks in the middle in terms of partner loyalty. A researcher explains why this is still crucial for the success of our species.
How Monogamous Are Humans Actually?
Across cultures and millennia, humans have embraced a diversity of sexual and marital arrangements—for instance, around 85 percent of human societies in the anthropological record have allowed men to have more than one wife. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . But in the broader evolutionary picture, some researchers have argued that monogamy played a dominant role in Homo sapiens’ evolution, enabling greater soci…
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