Monogamy

Monogamy is a mating system in which an individual forms one reproductive pair at a time. It occurs in human societies and across many animal species.

Mating system: A pattern describing how individuals form reproductive partnerships within a population. Monogamy is one pattern within the broader range of reproductive partnership systems.
Polygyny: A mating system in which one male mates with multiple females. It contrasts with monogamy by allowing one male several simultaneous reproductive partners.
Social monogamy: A social arrangement in which two individuals share a territory or cooperate in raising offspring. Social pairing is one form of monogamy and does not necessarily imply sexual exclusivity.
Mate guarding: Behavior that restricts rivals' access to a potential or current mate. Guarding can help maintain exclusive access within a monogamous pairing.
Gibbon: A family of small-bodied apes native to forests of South and Southeast Asia. Some gibbon species form long-lasting pairs, often used to examine primate social monogamy.
Pair bond: A social association between two individuals that may involve mating, cooperation, or shared care. A pair bond can support monogamy, though social pairing does not always mean exclusive mating.
Polyandry: A mating system in which one female mates with multiple males. It contrasts with monogamy by allowing one female several simultaneous reproductive partners.
Sexual monogamy: A mating arrangement in which partners mate exclusively with one another during their partnership. This narrower form distinguishes exclusive mating from social pair-bonding.
Paternity certainty: The probability that a male is the genetic father of a partner's offspring. Greater certainty can increase the potential benefits of paternal care in some monogamous species.
Prairie vole: A small North American rodent known for forming enduring social pair bonds. Its pair-bonding behavior has made it a prominent model for studying monogamy's biology.

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