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Sex and romance are close evolutionary bedfellows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2026

Edward R. Morrison Open the ORCID record for Edward R. Morrison [Opens in a new window]  and
Mohamed Ismail Abdul Kader
Edward R. Morrison*
Affiliation:
Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry Building, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK ed.morrison@port.ac.uk ismail.abdul-kader@port.ac.uk
Mohamed Ismail Abdul Kader
Affiliation:
Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry Building, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK ed.morrison@port.ac.uk ismail.abdul-kader@port.ac.uk
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Evolutionary theory supports the claim that romantic relationships matter more to men than to women. Humans follow the general pattern of ardent males and coy females, but our mostly monogamous mating system means that sexual relationships generally are romantic. The decoupling of sex and romance may be a modern development that does not represent most of human evolutionary history.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e115
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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References

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