The Image Bank RF
Why is it that less than 5 per cent of mammal species are monogamous, compared with about 90 per cent of bird species? (continued)
Herman D’Hondt
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
One thing that previous answers overlooked is that there is a difference between social and sexual monogamy.
Most birds are socially monogamous. This means that a pair will work together to raise the offspring. That pairing may last for a year or for a lifetime. The reason for this is that most bird species are born helpless and require a lot of care from both parents. That makes it…
