We know human mating and childrearing systems are constantly adjusting to levels of technology, population density, deployment of males and females in production and local enviromental conditions. For example where there is an abundance of land and a shortage of labor polygomy prevails so that men can become properous by adding additional wives and children ( Utah last century). At the opposite extreme polyandry represents an adjustment to scarcity of agricultural resources, 2 or 3 brothers may share one wife to cut down on heirs to the land (Tibet). Monogomy tends to fit in between the two and of course we have simple promiscuity with high divorce rates in the west today. I guess cultural may play as large a role as economics in all this, but I'm not sure. I don't think it is human nature to be exclusively promiscuous, polyandrous or polygynous. What do you think?

One Response to “How many mates is natural for humans?”