Sex at Dawn

By Christopher Ryan

Categories: Politics & Social Sciences

Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá challenge the standard story of human sexual evolution, which holds that monogamy comes naturally to our species. Drawing on anthropology, archaeology, primatology and anatomy, they argue that it is far from human nature. Published in 2010, the book contends that before agriculture, humans lived in small, mobile bands where multiple sexual partners were common, much as among bonobos, and where sex strengthened trust within the group. Many scholars have disputed its claims.

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• Noah Kagan
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• Joe Rogan
• Esther Perel
• Aubrey Marcus: “The book Sex at Dawn by Chris Ryan was probably the third most influential single book.”
• Shane Parrish: “Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships by Christopher Ryan & Cacilda Jetha”