Understanding Human Monogamy through a Comparative Analysis

Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/mw22v716j

Abstract

Monogamy is the standard mating system in modern western societies, even though it is a rare mating system across the primates. Through comparative anatomy and statistical analysis, I look at traits that are commonly associated with different mating systems (sexual size dimorphism, concealed ovulation, and sperm competition through testes size). Using these traits, I look at specific primate examples of closely related species and some distantly related species to compare anatomy and mating system. I also preform statistical analysis using 18 primate examples to discuss patterns in primates and compare humans to them. Using these metrics humans are most similar to monogamous species when looking at size dimorphism, and more similar to a single-male system when looking at relative testes size. When looking at concealed ovulation, there was not a clear pattern that could be distinguished. Altogether, my research suggests that humans are not as strictly monogamous as western society implies, especially given the history that monogamy has in culture.

Creator