Humans have been ranked 7th out of 35 mammals for monogamy in a Cambridge University study. By analysing genetic data to compare how many siblings shared both parents, researchers found humans have 66% full siblings, placing us among the more monogamous species.
Ahead of us were animals like Eurasian beavers and moustached tamarins, while we ranked above meerkats and gibbons. At the bottom were chimpanzees, dolphins and mountain gorillas, which showed extremely low full-sibling rates, reflecting far more promiscuous mating systems.
Scientists say human monogamy is unusual compared with other primates and may have evolved alongside paternal involvement in offspring care. Still, experts note that cultural and religious norms play a major role in keeping human pairs together — even if desire doesn’t always match behaviour.
In nature’s monogamy standings, humans are strong contenders — just not quite as committed as the beaver.
