- Monogamy— each male has one female partner; each female has one male partner.
Paternity is generally certain, so father takes
great interest in raising children (high parental investment); father and mother often share duties.
Occurs among gibbons and owl monkeys (Aotinae); very common in songbirds.
Occurs in various mammals, but is not as common as polygyny.
- Polygamy (general term)— many individuals have multiple partners
- Polygyny: each male has multiple female partners,
typically excluding other males
Very common among primates and among mammals generally.
Male parental investment tends to be low or negligible.
- Polyandry: each female has multiple male partners, often exclusively so
Occurs among some Callitrichidae. Rare across the animal kingdom.
- Polygynandry:
mating group contains multiple partners of both sexes
Not a common arrangement, but occurs in some Callitrichidae.
- Promiscuity:
no lasting partnerships; each invidual mates with any
other of the opposite sex.
Common among fishes and invertebrates (all egg-laying): once eggs are laid,
neither parent cares for young (parental investment close to zero).
Rare in primates; savanna baboons come close, but they form temporarily monogamous consort pairs
and mothers do care for their young (intensively) until they are weaned.
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