Thanks. Pair-bonding is not the same as being monogamous, and I don’t think you can only be a little bit monogamous. 😁 You either are or you aren’t. The latest anthropological theories are that early humans were cooperative breeders because that is what best ensures reproductive fitness (the chance that your offspring will produce their own offspring).
“Mono” means one, and “gamy” means spouse. “It does not mean sexual fidelity,” says biological anthropologist Helen Fisher, a professor at Rutgers University in New York and author of several works on monogamy. Humans are among just 3% of mammals that form pair bonds, she says. Species like beetles, beavers and most birds share the instinct to partner up to rear their young.
I’m not quite sure exactly what you are getting at with what you’ve said about patriarchy, but feel free to say more. I’ve written about 20 articles in the past 18 months about the evolution of that kind of social system, what we had before, and the true nature of patriarchy (it’s a pyramid-shaped dominance hierarchy). Below is the link to all of my stories about that, but I’m also pulling out a few that you might find relevant/interesting.
