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Although non-human primates do not have marriage, the concept of marriage is a human universal. In other words, all human groups have marriage. Because it is universal, one can assume that this phenomenon is either something very old or something extremely useful in terms of human adaptation. Marriage is probably both very ancient and very useful. But, what exactly is it good for?

One of the reasons that marriage has persisted throughout human history is because it is in fact the main reproductive relationship for human beings. This probably has to do with the fact that every child has a much higher rate of survival with two parents than one. Therefore, child survival increases when we have a set method of assigning parents to their respective children.

Even though we recognize something called "marriage" in every culture, the variations between marriages in different cultures are so great that we cannot define marriage in a way that covers all marriages. There is no single definition for marriage. While it is some kind of special relationship that occurs between people, however, other than that it is basically impossible to define. For example, the idea that marriage is just between two people is not characteristic of all marriages.

Despite our inability to define marriage succinctly in a way that encompasses all forms of marriage, there does exist a constellation of features frequently found in all marriages. In other words, all marriages have at least some of these features.

One of these features is a ceremony. This is because marriage is a rite of passage in that it changes people from one social status to another. Holding a ceremony to formally acknowledge a marriage makes it harder to break the marriage, which makes the marriage more permanent. This is especially the case if a higher deity and/or the society at large recognize the union. Breaking the union or the laws of the relationship then becomes not just a crime but also a sin. Of course not all cultures have a wedding ceremony. Sometimes, the marriage is solidified simply when the wife moves in with the husband.

Sexual priority is another common feature of marriage. Usually spouses have some kind of say over their partner's sexuality. Of course, this is not always the case. In many cultures, the couple is able to have an open marriage and it really does not matter too much to them whether or not their spouse is engaging in extra-marital sexual affairs. They can have sex with as many partners as they

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