Humans cuddle up to meerkats in the monogamy rankings
BBC••world
Key Points:
- A new study ranks humans as 66% monogamous, placing them alongside meerkats and beavers, and far above primates like chimpanzees and gorillas in terms of forming pair bonds.
- The Californian mouse ranks highest in monogamy with 100% full siblings, while species like mountain gorillas and chimpanzees show very low monogamy rates of 6% and 4%, respectively.
- Researchers highlight that despite similar monogamy rates to some animals, human social structures differ significantly, as humans live in multi-male, multi-female groups with pair-bonded units rather than solitary or colony-like social groups.
- The study suggests that social monogamy has evolved independently
