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How Monogamous Are Humans? A Study Ranks Us Between Meerkats and Beavers
Humans show a 66% full-sibling rate, ranking seventh in monogamy among 11 mammal species, reflecting diverse mating systems and strong parental investment patterns, Dr Dyble said.
- Dr Dyble's study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B found humans, sampled via Bronze Age burial grounds and Neolithic Anatolian sites, have a 66% full-sibling rate, ranking seventh of 11 socially monogamous species.
- Using datasets covering 103 human societies and 34 non-human mammal species, the team aimed to quantify monogamy and test the monogamy hypothesis linking it to cooperative society evolution.
- Species-Specific rates ranged from the California deermouse at 100% and African wild dog at 85% to the Soay sheep at 0.6% and mountain gorilla and common chimpanzee with low single-digit rates.
- The study's findings and limitations prompted mixed responses as Julia Schroeder said human monogamy clustering is unsurprising, Opie criticized comparisons to non-primate mammals, and Dr Dyble noted study limitations with self-reported human data.
- Cultural and methodological caveats mean cultural practices and birth control complicate interpreting social monogamy, and Dr Dyble urged further work using modern genetic datasets to explore why humans rank mid-table.
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Humans Sit Between Meerkats and Beavers in Monogamy Rankings, Study Shows
Humans rank near meerkats and beavers in a global monogamy study. Credit: University of Cambridge / CC BY 4.0 A new study from the University of Cambridge places humans between meerkats and beavers when it comes to monogamous mating behavior. The research, which compares full- and half-sibling rates across 11 socially monogamous mammal species, found that humans have a 66 percent rate of full siblings—higher than meerkats but slightly lower than…
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Leaning Left3Leaning Right2Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left
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50% Left
L 50%
C 17%
R 33%
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