New study reveals human monogamy levels
A recent study indicates that humans exhibit a higher level of monogamy than many of their primate relatives, yet remain less monogamous than beavers, according to findings published by researchers at the University of Cambridge, reports BritPanorama.
The research team explored the proportion of full siblings compared to half-siblings across several animal species and various human populations through history. They found that species and societies characterized by greater monogamous behavior tend to have more full siblings who share both parents, while those that are polygamous or promiscuous tend to produce a higher number of half-siblings.
Mark Dyble, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Cambridge and lead author of the study, employed a computational model alongside sibling data from genetic studies of humans and other animals to estimate monogamy ratings. The team published their findings in the journal *Proceedings of the Royal Society B*.
According to the researchers, beavers achieved a monogamy rating of 72%, whereas humans attained a rating of 66%, positioning them slightly ahead of meerkats, which scored 60%. This places all three species within what the researchers classify as the “premier league” of monogamy.
Conversely, dolphins and chimpanzees demonstrated significantly lower monogamy ratings of 4%, while mountain gorillas were recorded at 6%. Dyble noted that although sibling proportions are not a new metric for gauging monogamy, this study uniquely juxtaposes human rates against those of various mammal species.
He asserted that monogamy is a crucial factor underpinning social cooperation, which has facilitated humans’ dominance on the planet. The findings emphasize a clear separation between humans and non-monogamous mammals; even human societies with the lowest proportions of full siblings—26%—were still higher than the highest-ranked non-monogamous species.
Monogamy ‘premier league’
With an average monogamy rating of 66%, humans rank seventh out of eleven species in the study classified as socially monogamous. This categorization highlights a preference for long-term pair bonds among these species.
Dyble calculated these rates using both genetic data from archaeological sites and ethnographic information from 94 human societies, underscoring the considerable diversity in mating and marriage practices. His observations reinforce the view that monogamy is the dominant mating pattern for humans, a sentiment echoed by Isabel Smallegange, a senior lecturer in population biology at Newcastle University.
Smallegange remarked that the research employs an innovative approach to compare monogamy levels across mammals, noting the significant disparity between humans and their closest relatives regarding mating patterns. The “headline finding” is compelling: humans are markedly more monogamous than many of the primate species typically associated with them, such as chimpanzees and gorillas.
Overall, this research serves as a reminder that while humans are comparatively monogamous, our social and reproductive success likely derives from a combination of pair-bonding, kin networks, and cultural practices, rather than a singular mating strategy.
