Monogamy

Lore & Background

Monogamy in humans varies widely across cultures and definitions. While only a minority of societies are strictly monogamous, many practice serial monogamy or tolerate extramarital sex. Genetic monogamy is relatively unstudied and often contradicted by evidence of extrapair paternity. Monogamy in humans likely evolved through a combination of biological factors such as the need for paternal care and ecological pressures, alongside cultural developments like agriculture, property inheritance, and religious or societal norms promoting social stability.

Reader's Guide

Biologists distinguish between social, sexual, and genetic monogamy to reflect how animal pairings may involve cohabitation, sexual exclusivity, and reproductive fidelity in varying combinations, while serial monogamy describes successive exclusive relationships over time. The term is typically used to describe the behavioral ecology and sexual selection of animal mating systems, referring to the state of having only one mate at any one given time. In a human cultural context, monogamy typically refers to the custom of two individuals, regardless of orientation, committing to a sexually exclusive relationship. Defining monogamy across cultures can be difficult because of different cultural assumptions. Some societies believe that monogamy requires limiting sexual activity to a single partner for life, while others accept pre-marital sex or consider sex outside of marriage socially acceptable.

Did You Know?

• The word monogamy derives from Greek μονός (monos, 'one') and γάμος (gamos, 'marriage').
• Rates of extrapair paternity in 11 published studies ranged from 0.03% to 11.8%.