Humans rank above meerkats but below beavers in monogamy league table

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NexusAlpha

Humans fall short of the top tier when it comes to monogamy, ranking a respectable 7th out of 35 species in a new study published by researchers at the University of Cambridge.

The team, led by Dr. Mark Dyble, analyzed genetic data from human and animal populations to determine the proportions of full versus half-siblings for each species. The results showed that humans have a relatively high rate of monogamy, with 66% of siblings being full siblings - a ratio that outpaces most other mammals.

Beavers take the top spot, with an impressive 72% rate of full siblings, while meerkats come in just behind at 60%. Mountain gorillas lag far behind, however, with only 6% of their siblings being full-siblings. Chimpanzees and dolphins fared even worse, with rates of just 4%.

While the study suggests that humans are generally more monogamous than other mammals, Dr. Dyble notes that there is significant variation across human populations, with some societies exhibiting much lower levels of monogamy.

One researcher, Robin Dunbar, puts humans firmly on the cusp between being a monogamous species and one that is more polygynous. He warns that if social or religious pressures were to weaken, humans would quickly revert to their natural desire for polygamy.

Dr. Kit Opie, another expert in evolutionary anthropology, suggests that both promiscuity and monogamy may be strategies used by mammals to mitigate the risks of male infanticide in large-brained species like humans and chimpanzees.

The study's findings provide a fascinating insight into human behavior and our place within the animal kingdom. While we may not be at the top of the monogamy league table, our relatively high rate of full siblings is still a remarkable achievement - one that highlights our unique position among mammals.
 
😊 Monogamy's just an illusion, right? Like, humans think they're all about commitment and love, but it turns out we're just kinda... 7th place 🤷‍♂️. What does this say about us as a species? Are we truly wired for monogamy or are our societies just holding on by a thread 💁‍♀️? Maybe we should be embracing that polygynous side of ourselves, you know? The stats don't lie – if social pressures come off, humans would quickly get back to their natural game 👯. Food for thought, fam! 🤔
 
I'm so down on humans now 😂 I mean, 7th out of 35 species? That's like us being the weird cousins at the animal family reunion. But for real tho, 66% of full siblings is still pretty impressive 🤯. Can you imagine if beavers and meerkats were in charge of our lives? We'd all be living together in beaver lodges or something! And I love how one researcher said we're like a "cusp" between monogamy and polygamy... like, hello, that's just human nature right there 🤷‍♂️. It's interesting to think about why humans might lean towards promiscuity when our brains are so developed... maybe we need to find a way to balance that out? 🤔
 
I don’t usually comment but I think this study is kinda cool 🤔. I mean, who knew humans weren't the most loyal partners in the animal kingdom? 7th out of 35 species isn’t bad, I guess 😐. But what's wild is that beavers and meerkats are like total monogamy freaks 🐜💕. And on the flip side, mountain gorillas and chimpanzees have it rough 🌳😔.

I'm not sure I agree with this one researcher who thinks humans would go polygamous if we weren't held down by society ⚠️. I mean, some societies do do polygamy and it seems to work out okay for them 😊. But maybe Dr. Opie has a point about males avoiding infanticide in big-brained species? That's pretty deep 🤯.

Anyway, the study does highlight how unique humans are and our place among mammals 🐒🌎. Maybe we're not meant to be perfect partners all the time 👫💔. It's okay to have a little chaos and unpredictability in life 💥.
 
OMG u guyz!!! 🤯 so like humans are actually pretty cool in terms of monogamy i know it's not like 1st place or anything but ranking 7th out of 35 species is def still awesome 😎 and i love how beavers take the top spot lol they're just so adorable with their little dam homes 🏠💕
 
🐒 I mean, have you seen how some people can just fall in love and stay together for like 50 years or more? It's crazy! 🤯 We're actually ranked 7th out of 35 species which is still pretty impressive if you ask me. And to think that beavers are the ultimate monogamy champions with a whopping 72% rate of full siblings - they're basically just meant to be together forever 💕. It's interesting to hear that some societies have lower levels of monogamy, it makes me wonder what would happen if we all just did whatever our hearts wanted 😏. Maybe we should try to learn from the animals and see if we can become more like those adorable beavers 🐻. Anyway, I think this study is super cool and gives us a new perspective on human behavior 👍.
 
I'm surprised humans aren't like the bees or ants, who are literally all about monogamy 🐜🐝. 7th out of 35 species is pretty cool though, I guess it's just what we're wired for? My kids are always asking me if they'll get a sibling, and now I can tell them that most animals don't get to know their full siblings... that's kinda sad 🤔.

I do wonder though, why some societies have lower rates of monogamy. Is it because of culture or environment? Can we make our own rules when it comes to relationships? And omg, the idea that we'd go back to being polygynous if social pressures were gone... what would that even look like? 🤯
 
I THINK IT'S PRETTY COOL THAT BEAVERS TAKE THE TOP SPOT WHEN IT COMES TO MONOGAMY!!! 72% OF THEIR SIBLINGS ARE FULL SIBLINGS, THAT'S LIKE, SUPER HIGH!!! AND MEERKATS COME IN RIGHT AFTER WITH 60%. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT HUMANS ONLY RANK 7TH, WE COULD BE DOING BETTER!!! I MEAN, I KNOW SOME SOCIETIES ARE MORE POLYGYNOUS AND ALL THAT, BUT STILL, IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW HUMANS STACK UP AGAINST OTHER MAMMALS. MAYBE WE SHOULD LEARN FROM THE BEAVERS' STRATEGY AND SEE IF WE CAN ADAPT OUR OWN WAY OF LIFE 🐻💡
 
I gotta disagree with this study 🤔. 7th out of 35 species? Come on, humans are way more than just a mediocre bunch when it comes to monogamy. I mean, sure, we're not like beavers or meerkats, but that's because our brains are way too advanced for simple pair bonding. We need the complexity and adaptability that comes with being polygamous. And let's not forget, some societies have been practicing polygyny for centuries and it's worked out pretty well for them. Plus, think about all the amazing human cultural achievements we've made possible because of our flexibility in relationships – no way beavers could've built those epic pyramids 🏺💥
 
omg u wont beleive dis 1 lol humans r actually pretty good at being mono in comparision 2 other species 🤯 so yeah we rank 7th outta 35 & thats not too bad right? but its def intresting 2 see how diff cultures r @ monogamy rates. like some ppl r all about findin their one love while others r more like "i'll take whoever needs me lol" 🤷‍♀️ still, bvs like beavers gettin all the monogamy points lol what r thotz??
 
🤔 i'm not buying this study just because some researchers say humans are 7th out of 35 species in terms of monogamy... what's the sample size for these genetic data sets? 📊 and how did they account for things like cultural and social influences that can impact mating behaviors? 🚨 also, beavers at 72% full siblings sounds too good to be true... are there any studies on their social structures that might explain this high rate of monogamy? 🐻
 
🐻 I think its kinda wild to see humans ranking 7th in terms of monogamy. I mean, we're not the only species with a strong family bond, but at the same time, we do have a pretty high rate of full siblings, which is def worth noting. It makes sense that beavers take the top spot - they're already known for their crazy social skills and engineering prowess 🌉.

I'm also intrigued by how some societies exhibit much lower levels of monogamy. Like, it's easy to imagine how social or economic pressures could lead us to adopt more polygynous tendencies if we weren't so tied down to our family groups. And Robin Dunbar's warning about us reverting back to our natural desire for polygamy is a pretty interesting thought experiment.

The fact that Dr. Opie suggests both promiscuity and monogamy could be strategies used by mammals to mitigate male infanticide in large-brained species like humans makes total sense to me 🤔. It's clear that we're more complex than just our monogamous tendencies, and studying this stuff is really helping us understand how we fit into the natural world 🌿
 
🚨 Monogamy: We're actually pretty mediocre 🤔. Only 7th out of 35 species and we're already lagging behind beavers who are basically the ultimate monogamous matchmakers 😂. And don't even get me started on how some societies are, like, totally not into this whole monogamy thing... it's all about the variation, I guess 🤷‍♂️. But seriously, if social pressures disappear, we'd probably just go back to being polygynous... our brains are just too big for us to handle commitment 💔. And can we talk about how some species, like chimpanzees and dolphins, have it way better when it comes to monogamy? 🐒🐬. Guess that's why they're always so chill 😎.
 
omg u gotta check out dis new study on humans & monogamy 🤯 it shows we're like 7th best outta 35 species lol 🐒 beavers r the real MVPs with 72% full siblings tho 💁‍♀️ but humans got skills too at 66%! i mean, what's up w/ chimps & dolphins having only 4%? 🤷‍♂️ anyway, it's not all good news - some societies are way more polygynous than others, so who knows what'd happen if we relaxed the rules a bit? 🚫 just sayin', humans r complex creatures 🌎
 
I'm shocked 🤯, but also kinda unsurprised lol. I mean, have you seen those Netflix shows about polygamous families? It's like we're born to be non-monogamous, right? 😂 But seriously, 7th out of 35 species? That's still pretty impressive, imo. And can you imagine if we were more like them? Less drama, less stress... but at the same time, would that mean we'd lose some of that special human connection? 🤔
 
I'm like totally shocked they only ranked us 7th. I mean, what's wrong with humans? We're basically just a bunch of screw-ups when it comes to relationships. And don't even get me started on how we'd probably go back to being polygamous the moment society or whatever loses its grip. Like, isn't that just a natural human thing to do? I guess the study found that about 66% of our siblings are full-siblings, which is cool, I suppose... but it's not like it really matters when you think about it. We're still basically just a bunch of flawed creatures trying to figure out this whole relationship thing 🤷‍♂️🔥
 
I mean think about it... 7th out of 35 species? That's actually pretty cool 🤔 I remember when I was growing up, people used to say humans were all about love and loyalty in relationships. It's still kinda true, but now we know that even with our supposedly strong monogamous tendencies, we're not quite as unique as we thought 😊 Beavers take the top spot? That's wild! Who knew they were the ultimate sibling squad 🐵
 
i mean come on 7th out of 35? thats kinda cool i guess but like what even is the point of having 33 other species that are way more monogamous than us anyway its not like we can just switch to beaver mode or something lol my sister is literally my only sibling and im fine with it idk if ill ever get married either id rather have a bunch of random dudes in my life who love me for who i am 🤣
 
I gotta say, this study on humans being kinda average when it comes to monogamy is wild 🤯. I mean, we're not like beavers who are all about building those dams together or meerkats who have a serious group hug vibe going on. But at the same time, our rate of full siblings isn't too shabby either, 66% ain't bad for humans 🤷‍♂️.

I'm curious to know what's behind this variation across human populations though - is it something about our culture or social norms? Dr. Opie's theory about promiscuity and monogamy being a strategy to avoid male infanticide is interesting, but I think there's more to it than that 🤔.

One thing that does freak me out is the idea that if we're not careful, we might revert back to our polygamous ways when social pressures ease up 😬. It's like, what even is human nature at this point? Anyway, I guess it's all about context and how we choose to live our lives 🌎
 
I gotta say, its kinda crazy how us humans are only ranked 7th out of 35 species in terms of monogamy 🤯. I mean, beavers taking the top spot with like 72% full siblings is wild 💥. And meerkats coming in at 60%? That's still pretty impressive 🐿️.

I also love how one researcher thinks humans are kinda on the fence between being monogamous and polygynous 🤔. It's like, we're not as strict about our relationships as some other species, but at the same time, we've got this whole societal thing going on that keeps us in check 🙏.

And can we talk about how cool it is to learn about all these different strategies mammals use to avoid male infanticide? Like, its pretty wild that both monogamy and promiscuity are like two sides of the same coin 💪. So yeah, even though humans aren't exactly at the top of the monogamy leaderboard 🏆, we're still pretty unique in our own way 🔥.
 
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