Mating for life may seem romantic, but for some animals it could be deadly.
New research has revealed a surprising link among mammals living on reserves in Ghana: Those with fewer mates are at higher risk for extinction. The finding suggests that conservation efforts might be better focused on those more vulnerable animals that stick to one or a few mates.
It could also mean that monogamy, which is already rare in the wild kingdom, may be a fading trait.
“In avoiding extinction, it pays to be promiscuous,” said Justin Brashares, a conservation biologist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, who published the study in the recent issue of the journal Conservation Biology.
Source: GhanaWeb
