Applied Math Research Suggests Monogamy Influenced by STIs

New research in applied math suggests that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may account for monogamy becoming the norm among prehistoric humans. Chris Bauch, professor of applied mathematics, along with collaborator Richard McElreath from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, used a computer model to study the development of monogamist norms in the presence of STIs. Their work was featured in a recent CBC interview, and has been published in the journal Nature Communications.