"There might be some divergences in the sexual biology of long-separated populations, but I suspect not much. Our dispersal from Africa is a relatively recent event and all modern human populations interbreed with ease."

I believe there may be more divergence than you recognize, though it doesn't appear to be total anywhere. I also believe that evolution can sometimes act rather quickly.

For comparison, there are some populations that can (mostly) drink milk as adults, and other populations that (mostly) can't - at least, not without getting sick. Some people seem to be able to practice veganism while maintaining their health, others find themselves getting sick if they eat any vegetables at all. We know with certainty of different responses to alcohol among different ethnic groups - though again it is only a tendency (though a very strong one) rather than a fact for every member of that group. I suspect that soy may also have different effects on different populations - healthy for some, unhealthy for others.

Despite all these differences, human eating habits are mostly similar.

"If monogamy were natural it should come naturally. Does it? Look at cheating statistics. Around half of relationships have at least one partner cheating."

That also means that about half of relationships do not have either partner cheating - and presumably some of the relationships involving cheaters also include a non-cheater. Why are they not affected by an anti-monogamy drive?

My response is that some people tend toward monogamy, others towards polygyny, and still others towards polyamory. I am not seeking to judge any of those involved - just pointing out that any one-size-fits-all solution will inevitably be a wrong fit for many people.

"It has been suggested that monogamy arose with agriculture as a means of ensuring paternal certainty for the inheritance of land from father to son."

That might explain why women were expected to adhere to only one man, but most such societies embraced polygyny. Monogamy is almost entirely a Roman thing in origin.




Baldur