Polygyny

The term polygyny (neo-Greek: poly+gyne woman) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology.

The Sociobiology of Polygamy

Polygamy is probably the most common mating system among vertebrates, and is especially common among mammals. It is characteristically associated with:

Related Topics:
Vertebrate - Mammal

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• Sexual dimorphism, particularly of size, with males being bigger, more aggressive, better equipped for fighting, and more colourful than females.
• Uniparental care of the young, with males contributing less than females or nothing at all
• Delayed sexual maturity among males, relative to females of the same species, or to males of related species with different mating systems.

Some species show facultative polygamy, with males mating with multiple females only when resource conditions are favourable. Recent research on voles has identified the genetic difference that predisposes one species to polygyny and another closely related species to pair bonding. The brain hormone mechanisms through which this very slight genetic difference acts have also been identified; they involve the response to vasopressin and oxytocin.

Related Topics:
Facultative - Vole - Gene - Pair bond - Brain - Hormone - Vasopressin - Oxytocin

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Considered in relation to other primates, humans are moderately sexually dimorphic, to an extent that a typical social group would be expected to consist of a male bonded to about three females. In reality, humans show much more flexibility in mating systems than many other animal species and almost every possible kind of mating system exists in some society. However, the prevalence of polygamy in human societies combined with the biological evidence suggests that it may be the most prevalent primitive form.

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