Norman P. Li

The Mosuo, arguably the last surviving matrilineal society in China, offers interesting insights into kinship practices that support reproduction. In particular, the modes of courtship and reproduction of the traditional Mosuo revolve around a practice known as walking marriages, which involves no contract or obligations, where the men do not use social status or resources to court women, women do not expect commitment from men, and multiple sexual relationships are permitted for both sexes and seldom incite conflict. Children borne from walking marriages are cared for not so much by fathers but rather their mothers' brothers, and wealth and property are controlled by women and passed on to daughters rather than to sons. By analyzing how familial and mating practices interact with evolved preferences and ecological affordances, we highlight the ways that traditional Mosuo practices facilitate reproductive success despite differing vastly from those familiar to modern, industrialized societies. We suggest that cases that appear like evolutionary exceptions, such as the traditional Mosuo, can bring into question the mating practices and preferences we take for granted as relatively universal and prompt a nuanced understanding of how environments, culture, and evolution mutually constrain and shape one another.

Objective Evolved mate preferences have taken center stage in evolutionary psychology research, yet this literature has been fairly muted on mate preferences for extrapair partners. Here, we examined the mate preferences for mistress relationships (the traits that men prioritize in a mistress and mistresses prioritize in their male partners) and compared these preferences to those of short‐ and long‐term relationships. Method In two studies ( N Study 1a = 104, N Study 1b = 191), we derived dimensions of mate preferences through exploratory factor analyses. In subsequent studies ( N Study 2 = 219, N Study 3 = 101), we employed a budget allocation paradigm, where participants designed their ideal mates for different relationship types (short‐term, long‐term, and mistress relationships). Results Whereas men focused on fulfilling short‐term mating ideals (by prioritizing physical attractiveness) in a mistress relationship, women focused on fulfilling long‐term (but also some short‐term) mating ideals (prioritizing both physical attractiveness and social status) for a mistress relationship. Conclusion Findings indicate that mistress relationships reflect a compromise of men's and women's (conflicting) mating ideals and contribute to an understanding of relationships that are neither completely short‐ nor long‐term in nature.