一項研究提出,，一個雄性和一個雌性配對交配并撫養(yǎng)后代的社會單偶制可能是為了減少雄性殺嬰的威脅而從靈長類動物中進化出來的。在哺乳動物中,，單偶制是罕見的,，而且促進了它的進化的原因仍不清楚。Christopher Opie及其同事使用統(tǒng)計模型評估了3種競爭的假說，科學(xué)家提出這些假說用于解釋單偶制的進化,。它們分別是：雄性和一個雌性配對從而阻止該雌性與雄性的對手交配,，因此也就改善了他的繁殖機會；父親對照顧后代的貢獻提高了一對配偶的繁殖成功機率,；或者配對的雄性保護了他的后代不受其他雄性傷害,，后者可能殺死沒有親緣關(guān)系的嬰兒從而改善它們與這些嬰兒的母親繁殖后代的機會。這組作者使用來自230個靈長類物種的特征數(shù)據(jù)檢驗了單偶制進化與每一種假說的一個標記特征之間的關(guān)系,，這些特征分別是：雌性范圍模式,，父親的照顧以及雄性殺嬰。這組作者發(fā)現(xiàn),，每一種特征都與單偶制共同進化,，但是只有雄性殺嬰在配偶生活出現(xiàn)之前出現(xiàn)。這組作者說,，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)提示單偶制可能由于雄性殺嬰的威脅而從靈長類動物中進化出來的,，而且一旦建立起來，配偶生活可能促進了配偶保護和父親照顧的出現(xiàn),。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦的英文摘要
PNAS doi: 10.1073/pnas.1307903110
Male infanticide leads to social monogamy in primates
Christopher Opiea,1, Quentin D. Atkinsonb, Robin I. M. Dunbarc, and Susanne Shultzd
Although common in birds, social monogamy, or pair-living, is rare among mammals because internal gestation and lactation in mammals makes it advantageous for males to seek additional mating opportunities. A number of hypotheses have been proposed to explain the evolution of social monogamy among mammals: as a male mate-guarding strategy, because of the benefits of biparental care, or as a defense against infanticidal males. However, comparative analyses have been unable to resolve the root causes of monogamy. Primates are unusual among mammals because monogamy has evolved independently in all of the major clades. Here we combine trait data across 230 primate species with a Bayesian likelihood framework to test for correlated evolution between monogamy and a range of traits to evaluate the competing hypotheses. We find evidence of correlated evolution between social monogamy and both female ranging patterns and biparental care, but the most compelling explanation for the appearance of monogamy is male infanticide. It is only the presence of infanticide that reliably increases the probability of a shift to social monogamy, whereas monogamy allows the secondary adoption of paternal care and is associated with a shift to discrete ranges. The origin of social monogamy in primates is best explained by long lactation periods caused by altriciality, making primate infants particularly vulnerable to infanticidal males. We show that biparental care shortens relative lactation length, thereby reducing infanticide risk and increasing reproductive rates. These phylogenetic analyses support a key role for infanticide in the social evolution of primates, and potentially, humans.
