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From: A.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,alt.romance,soc.men,soc.women,soc.singles
Subject: Re: Are Humans Naturally Monogamous?
Message-ID: <1990Nov23.015509.14871@massey.ac.nz>
Date: 23 Nov 90 01:55:09 GMT
References: <1990Oct24.175532.9407@pmafire.UUCP> <15490@netcom.UUCP> <1990Oct26.000754.24765@odin.corp.sgi.com> <4836@lure.latrobe.edu.au> <1990Nov22.191009.20772@watserv1.waterloo.edu>
Organization: Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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If instinctive behaviour is only vestigial in humans then why do we still
breathe when we are asleep, why do children commonly bond with their
parents, why is sex so important, et cetera.  The whole science of
Sociobiology suggests that instinctive behaviour is very important (but
not exclusive of cultural effects).

Humans are not naturally computer users but the format used by computers
is controlled by "human nature".  If computers communicated to us in
binary, we would find this difficult to learn and understand.  Chimps are
not naturally American Sign Language users, but they can learn and can
teach it to their children.  Dogs are not naturally Seeing Eye Dog
"users" but they can be taught.  Horses do not naturally jump 7-foot
fences, but....

If natural becomes equated with good, than that is the fault of a poor
educational system.  It is not natural to eat foods that your parent did
not eat; it is not natural to avoid mating with first cousins (indeed it
is natural to find them the MOST attractive of sexual partners); it is
not natural to not steal or lie; etc.

Monkeys such as marmosets, tamarins, gibbons (apes of course), and many
birds are naturally monogamous.  Non-monogamous behaviour is Very Rarely
observed.  The males of these species can impregnate as many fertile
females as they can have sex with, but there is no evolutionary advantage
for them to do so (and they do not!) probably because the female needs
the help of the male/father to rear the offspring.

Normally in large animals, the female does not need the help of the male
to rear the offspring and they are rarely monogamous (see for example
chimpanzees, gorillas, all large monkeys (larger than a cat).  THis does
not seem to be true of large birds (largest is the monogamous swan).

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Arnold Chamove
Massey University Psychology
Palmerston North, New Zealand