Lifelong monogamous relationships are common among humans but far less so within the broader animal kingdom. Animals that do bond for life include:
Beavers
Eurasian beaverEurasian beaver (Castor fiber).blickwinkel/AlamyThe European version of these dam-building rodents remains faithful once a relationship has been established. However, the mechanism behind their pair bonding remains a mystery to biologists.
Gray wolves
gray wolfGray wolf (Canis lupus).© Jeff Lepore/Photo ResearchersWolf packs live within a strict social hierarchy, led by the alpha male and his mate, with whom he stays for life.
Gibbons
gibbons (family Hylobatidae)Gibbons differ from great apes in a number of physical ways. Some of the more pronounced differences include having longer arms, dense hair, and a throat sac used for amplifying sound.Edmund Appel/Photo Researchers, Inc.These agile tree-dwelling apes act like humans in that they occasionally cheat on their mates, sometimes break up, and later get back together again. Affection is exhibited among devoted gibbon couples through mutual grooming and by co-parenting their young.
Macaroni penguins
macaroni penguinA nested pair of macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus).© Serge OuachéeMost breeding pairs of macaroni penguins are monogamous. They engage in what researchers call an “ecstatic display” when they see each other. Once their eggs hatch, the male stays with the chicks while the female hunts for food.
Sandhill cranes
sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis)Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) are 35–43 inches (90–110 cm) long, with a red crown, a bluish or brownish gray body tinged with sandy yellow, and a long, harsh, penetrating call.© ElementalImaging/iStock.comThis is another species of bird known to show a bond within couples. They often engage in what is known as “unison calling.”
Bald eagles
Hemera/Thinkstock Males co-parent the young by helping to keep the eggs warm and by feeding the chicks once they have hatched.
