> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
> On 9 Sep 96 at 15:03, Kevin M O'Connor wrote:
[CLIP]
> Ken wrote
> > > A great variety of current practices exist (e.g., lifelong
> > > virgins to orgy clubs) - however most (?) people tend to be
> > > more or less serially monogamous
>
> Kevin again
> > This tendency is so universal that I'd be very surprised to learn that
> > there was no genetic influence at work here.
>
> Because of the extremely long development time needed in human young
> (from point of conception up to about early or mid teens) where
> someone must be around to feed and protect them, human survival
> strategy dictates that those parents who pair for that duration have
> the best chance of successfully propogating their genes (division of
> labour etc.). I think this is why monogamy as we know it has
> developed, although I suspect that the mechanism has not had enough
> time (in evolutionary terms) to perfect, hence the broken marriages
> etc. I also think that it will not develop further in the current
> climate as a lot of the need has disappeared. A single woman has a
> fair chance of perpetuating her genes successfully in western society
> at the moment. [....]
I suspect that the spread of memes incompatible with monogamy would
contribute.
There is at least passive advertising [evangelism?] against monogamy on
US public TV--skim the reviews, or actually watch, the 'soap operas' and
'sitcoms' on ABC/NBC/CBS/Fox. I'd hate to say this would never tip a
borderline case over the edge, in a (sub)conscious analysis.
[CLIP]
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/ Kenneth Boyd
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////