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Are Humans Meant to Be Monogamous?
But ifِ humans wereِ cut fromِ exactlyِ the sameِ cloth asِ other mammals, a faithful spouse wouldِ beِ anِ unusual phenomenon.
Only 3 percent toِ 5 percent ofِ the roughly 5,000 species ofِ mammals (including humans) areِ known toِ form lifelong, monogamous bonds , withِ theِ loyal superstars including beavers, wolves andِ some bats.
Social monogamy isِ a term referring toِ creatures thatِ pair upِ toِ mate andِ raise offspring butِ still haveِ flings.
Beyond that, scientists’ definitions for monogamy vary.
Evolutionary psychologists haveِ suggested thatِ men areِ more likelyِ to haveِ extramarital sex, partially due toِ theِ male urge toِ spread genes byِ broadcasting sperm.
The committed partnership betweenِ a man andِ a woman evolved, someِ say, forِ the well-being ofِ children.
The human species hasِ evolved toِ makeِ commitments betweenِ males andِ females inِ regards toِ raising theirِ offspring, soِ this isِ a bond, saidِ Jane Lancaster, anِ evolutionary anthropologist atِ the University ofِ New Mexico.
