What Drives Male Monogamy?

Several ecological and social factors can favor the evolution of monogamy in males. These include:

• Mate Guarding: When the risk of losing paternity to rival males is high, males may remain with a single female to guard her and ensure their own reproductive success. This behavior is a strong evolutionary driver for monogamy, as it secures paternity and reduces competition from other males.

• Need for Parental Care: In species where offspring survival depends on significant care from both parents, males may stay with a single mate to assist in brood and nestling care. This biparental investment is a classic scenario promoting monogamy, particularly in birds and some mammals.

• Female Mate Guarding: In some cases, females may guard their mates to prevent them from seeking additional partners, further reinforcing monogamous pair bonds.

What Does NOT Favor Male Monogamy?

Among the options provided, the condition least likely to favor male monogamy is when the male wants to spend more time for foraging.

Why?

• Foraging vs. Mating Effort: When a male prioritizes foraging over mate guarding or parental care, he is less invested in maintaining a pair bond. In such cases, the male’s reproductive success is not tied to a single female or to the survival of a specific brood, but rather to maximizing his own energy intake or seeking multiple mating opportunities.

• Reduced Paternal Investment: If a male spends more time foraging, he is less available for mate guarding or providing care, both of which are key factors that promote and maintain monogamy.

• Opportunity for Multiple Mating: Time spent away from a mate for foraging may increase the likelihood of seeking or encountering additional mates, thus favoring polygamous or promiscuous systems rather than monogamy.

Supporting Evidence

Scientific studies consistently show that monogamy is favored when males benefit from remaining close to a mate—either to guard her from rivals or to help raise offspring. When these pressures are absent, and males can increase their reproductive success by foraging or seeking additional mates, monogamy is less likely to evolve or persist.

Conclusion

The condition NOT likely to favor male monogamy is when the male wants to spend more time for foraging. Monogamy is more strongly promoted by the need for mate guarding, biparental care, or even female mate guarding. When ecological or social pressures reduce the benefits of exclusive pair bonds, males are more likely to adopt alternative mating strategies, such as polygamy or promiscuity. Understanding these dynamics helps explain the diversity of mating systems in the animal world and the evolutionary flexibility of social behavior.