Monogamy also creates a system in which nearly everyone has a mate, as sex ratios tend to be one-to-one within populations, regardless of mating system. This prevents the accumulation of sexually frustrated males for whom violence may be the only path to reproduction, either through the overthrow of harem owners—as in lions and elephant seals—or through rape—as in ducks and dolphins. We will return shortly to some of the profound implications of monogamy for human societies.
