Humans are the undisputed champions of monogamy, but beavers and meerkats are hot on their heels in a fascinating ranking of mammals by their reproductive habits. According to a study from the University of Cambridge, humans have taken the seventh spot out of 35 species, narrowly edging out white-handed gibbons and meerkats, who trail behind moustached tamarins and Eurasian beavers.
However, as Dr Mark Dyble, an evolutionary anthropologist at Cambridge, notes, "humans sit comfortably in the top flight for monogamous species, but the vast majority of mammals take a far more promiscuous approach to mating." With rates ranging from 4% to 100%, some of the lowest-rated monogamous mammals include chimpanzees, dolphins, and Scotland's Soay sheep, which has a staggering 26% rate due to each ewe mating with several rams.
To calculate these rates, Dyble analysed genetic data from animal and human studies, finding that societies and animals with higher levels of monogamy tend to produce more siblings that share the same parents. On the other hand, species with more promiscuous mating habits are likely to have a higher proportion of half-siblings.
Interestingly, humans do not rank as consistently high across all 100 human populations assessed, ranging from 26% in an Early Neolithic site in the Cotswolds to 100% in four Neolithic populations in northern France. Beavers, however, take top spot with a whopping 72%, followed closely by meerkats at 60%.
While humans may be content to think of themselves as monogamous, some experts argue that this is an unusual transition from non-monogamous group living. "If these religions lose their force, serial monogamy or polygamy by any other name quickly emerges," notes Robin Dunbar, professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford.
Dr Kit Opie, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Bristol, suggests that both human promiscuity and monogamy may be counterstrategies to male infanticide in large-brained primate species. "Females either try to confuse paternity through promiscuity or provide paternity certainty so that a single male is invested in the offspring and protects them," he explains.
Overall, the study highlights both the complexity of human mating habits and our relative uniqueness among mammals. While we may not be as promiscuous as some other species, it's clear that our approach to monogamy – or lack thereof – has evolved over time to address a range of social pressures and challenges.
However, as Dr Mark Dyble, an evolutionary anthropologist at Cambridge, notes, "humans sit comfortably in the top flight for monogamous species, but the vast majority of mammals take a far more promiscuous approach to mating." With rates ranging from 4% to 100%, some of the lowest-rated monogamous mammals include chimpanzees, dolphins, and Scotland's Soay sheep, which has a staggering 26% rate due to each ewe mating with several rams.
To calculate these rates, Dyble analysed genetic data from animal and human studies, finding that societies and animals with higher levels of monogamy tend to produce more siblings that share the same parents. On the other hand, species with more promiscuous mating habits are likely to have a higher proportion of half-siblings.
Interestingly, humans do not rank as consistently high across all 100 human populations assessed, ranging from 26% in an Early Neolithic site in the Cotswolds to 100% in four Neolithic populations in northern France. Beavers, however, take top spot with a whopping 72%, followed closely by meerkats at 60%.
While humans may be content to think of themselves as monogamous, some experts argue that this is an unusual transition from non-monogamous group living. "If these religions lose their force, serial monogamy or polygamy by any other name quickly emerges," notes Robin Dunbar, professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford.
Dr Kit Opie, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Bristol, suggests that both human promiscuity and monogamy may be counterstrategies to male infanticide in large-brained primate species. "Females either try to confuse paternity through promiscuity or provide paternity certainty so that a single male is invested in the offspring and protects them," he explains.
Overall, the study highlights both the complexity of human mating habits and our relative uniqueness among mammals. While we may not be as promiscuous as some other species, it's clear that our approach to monogamy – or lack thereof – has evolved over time to address a range of social pressures and challenges.
72% monogamous? that's like me and my partner being on the same page 99% of the time, minus one major disagreement about who left the dishes in the sink 
anyway, i'm kinda surprised humans didn't rank higher considering how obsessed we are with finding "the one"... maybe it's because we're just really bad at monogamy 
I mean, what's up with all the assumptions in this study? They're basically just looking at genetic data and assuming people from different regions have always been monogamous or not... like that's ever true for humans 
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But at the same time, I can see why humans would want to try and find someone special - all those sibling combinations from promiscuous mammals are pretty crazy 
. So like humans are basically the 7th best at being monogamous? That's wild considering how much emphasis we put on it in our societies 
. Like, beavers can be super loyal to each other too 
But it makes sense when you think about how our societies have evolved over time. Maybe we just need to rethink what it means to be monogamous or not, and consider all the different strategies that other animals use to find love 
meanwhile humans are like 26-100% depending on the population lol 
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We've had to adapt over time to deal with social pressures and challenges, and that's what's led us to where we are today. So yeah, maybe our approach to love is a little unconventional...but hey, it works for us, right? 
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