Premium
Re‐Evaluating Primate Monogamy
Author(s) -
Fuentes Agustin
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
american anthropologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1548-1433
pISSN - 0002-7294
DOI - 10.1525/aa.1998.100.4.890
Subject(s) - primate , mating system , set (abstract data type) , mating , biology , evolutionary biology , social organization , range (aeronautics) , social group , zoology , social psychology , psychology , ecology , sociology , anthropology , computer science , materials science , composite material , programming language
Researchers propose hypotheses for the occurrence of monogamy as a social system in primates based on the assumption that there are a group of primates, including humans, which live exclusively in “nuclear families” and share a similar set of social behaviors. Examining the primates purported to be “monogamous” reveals that they cover a wide range of grouping types, mating patterns, taxonomic groups, and evolutionary grades. While there are a few primate species that do live in small, two‐adult groups and share a similar set of social behaviors, the vast majority of the supposed “monogamous” primates, including humans, do not. [monogamy, social systems, evolution, variability in social organization]