Is monogamy a human innate behaviour?

Question

As the question states, got curious and I was wondering if monogamy is an innate human behaviour or is it because of how we built society (religion, traditions, etc.)? Let's say we go back in time, would we see humans settling down with a single partner at a time and caring for their children as a couple for life or would they reproduce with several leaving the mothers with their children? Thanks!

Answer 1

Short answer: No. Monogamy is not innate to humans. Think about the homonid evolutionary tree and our closest known relatives - not all of them are monogamous. Many cultures, past and current, have not only been unharmed by, but have thrived in, the absence of monogamy (see near east, idea of harem). There are many animal species that exhibit mating behaviors similar to monogamy, but single-mate reproduction/offspring rearing is not exclusive to humans.

longer answer: No. If observed from a strict balance perspective, i.e., the idea of rearing resource management to offspring outcome, then statistically the most viable option seems to come from the one male/one female idea, however that is not historically born across all human cultures. It is thought that the first proto-homonid species to start the migrations out of Africa were much more chimp-like than just looks. The prevailing theory is that the migrating bands were lead by matriarchs with multiple males servicing and serving the females in the troop, with little to no active roles in the rearing of the young aside from hunting and some minor babysitting (like chimps today). There is also evidence in cromagnon settlements of matriarchy and polyandry being more prevalent than monogamy.