Practising monogamy places humans among tiny ‘premier league’ of mammals, study shows
Humans are naturally monogamous, study finds
- Research indicates that humans are naturally more monogamous than previously thought, aligning more with species like meerkats and beavers than with other primates.
- Cambridge anthropologist Mark Dyble developed a new method to quantify monogamy rates by analysing the proportions of full and half-siblings within various species.
- The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, revealed a 66 per cent full-sibling rate for humans, positioning them seventh among 11 socially monogamous species.
- Comparatively, meerkats exhibited a 60 per cent full-sibling rate and beavers 73 per cent, while other primates such as gorillas and chimpanzees showed significantly lower rates, ranging from 1 to 6 per cent.
- Dr Dyble suggested that human monogamy likely evolved from non-monogamous group living, a unique transition among mammals, and clarified that the study measures reproductive monogamy, accounting for cultural practices.