PolyOz

Monogamy is one of several mating systems observed in animals. The amount of social monogamy in animals varies across taxa, with over 90% of birds engaging in social monogamy but only 7% of mammals engaging in social monogamy. With birds the locomotion method has meant that the sharing of genetic material with non-local sources is far less difficult, and reproduction is far more successful when both the male and the female contribute food resources to the offspring. The incidence of sexual monogamy appears quite rare in other parts of the animal kingdom. It is becoming clear that even animals that are socially monogamous engage in extra-pair copulations.

Evolution in animals Socially monogamous species are scattered throughout the animal kingdom: A few insects, a few fish, a large number of birds, and a few mammals are socially monogamous. There is even a parasitic worm, Schistosoma mansoni, that in its female male pairings in the human body is monogamous. The diversity of these species with social monogamy suggests that it is not inherited from a common ancestor but instead evolved independently in many different species.

Sometimes the genders of a triad are given as acronyms for a short description of some of the dynamics. If it's a Vee relationship, the hinge is typically in the middle. Obviously extensible to more than three, though less commonly.

Sometimes the genders of a triad are given as acronyms for a short description of some of the dynamics. If it's a Vee relationship, the hinge is typically in the middle. Obviously extensible to more than three, though less commonly.

Sometimes the genders of a triad are given as acronyms for a short description of some of the dynamics. If it's a Vee relationship, the hinge is typically in the middle. Obviously extensible to more than three, though less commonly.

The core concept of monogamy as used today is of exactly two people in a sexually and romantically exclusive relationship. This relationship is substantially based on exchanged promises of sexual exclusivity - whether or not these promises are kept. A common form today is "serial monogamy", wherein there may be multiple monogamous relationships over time, but the participants are supposed to have no more than one partner at a time.

The roots and earlier meaning of monogamy was "one marriage", referring to a legally and socially recognized marriage. Today it applies to serious relationships with or without legal marriage. Our society now has some space for discrete multiple relationships, but not for multiple marriages (which is often called bigamy).

Note that Polyamory is not the only alternative to monogamy, or the "opposite".

The core concept of monogamy as used today is of exactly two people in a sexually and romantically exclusive relationship. This relationship is substantially based on exchanged promises of sexual exclusivity - whether or not these promises are kept. A common form today is "serial monogamy", wherein there may be multiple monogamous relationships over time, but the participants are supposed to have no more than one partner at a time.

The roots and earlier meaning of monogamy was "one marriage", referring to a legally and socially recognized marriage. Today it applies to serious relationships with or without legal marriage. Our society now has some space for discrete multiple relationships, but not for multiple marriages (which is often called bigamy).

Note that Polyamory is not the only alternative to monogamy, or the "opposite".

The Mormons originally practiced a form of polygamy (specifically polygyny - multiple husbands was not OK, only multiple wives). A few renegades still do. This is culturally not part of the polyamorous movement; it's yet anther alternative to monogamy.