Episode 424: Are Humans Made To Be Monogamous?

Are human beings made for monogamy or non-monogamy? This is a popular subject of debate. While some argue that humans evolved for monogamy in order to ensure parental investment in our offspring, others argue that humans evolved to be non-monogamous because it increases the odds of reproductive success and genetic diversity in our species. So which is it? That’s what we’re going to be talking about today.

I am joined by Nathan Lents, a Professor of Biology at John Jay College, where he is the director of the Cell and Molecular Biology program. His research lab studies human genetic evolution and forensic DNA technology. He also writes popular science articles and is the author of the new book The Sexual Evolution: How 500 Millions Years of Sex, Gender, and Mating Shape Modern Relationships.

Some of the specific topics we explore include:

• What’s the difference between social monogamy and sexual monogamy?
• How common are social and sexual monogamy in both humans and animals, and how often do they overlap?
• Can research on other primates shed light on how human mating strategies evolved?
• Can someone’s brain chemistry predispose them to being monogamous or non-monogamous?

You can check out Nathan’s website to learn more about his work.

Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.

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