In biology, a pair bond is the strong affinity that develops in some species between the male and female in a breeding pair. Pair-bonding, from 1940, is a term frequently used in sociobiology and evolutionary psychology circles and is typically meant to imply either a life-long monogamous relationship or a stage of mating interaction in socially monogamous species. It is sometimes used in reference to human relationships.

Varieties

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• Short-term pair-bond: a transient mating or associations
• Long-term pair-bond: bonded for a significant portion of the life cycle of that pair
• Life-long pair-bond: mated for the life of that pair
• Social pair-bond: attachments for territorial or social reasons, as in cuckold situations
• Clandestine pair-bond: quick extra-pair copulations, as for genetic acquisition

Examples

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When discussing the social life of the bank swallow, Lipton and Barash state:

References

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• Barash, D. & Lipton, J. (2001). The Myth of Monogamy – Fidelity and Infidelity in Animals and People. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0805071369

See also

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• Human bonding
• Monogamy
• Affectional bond
• Animal sexuality

External links

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• The neurobiology of pair bonding, from Nature