The Human Virtue

[Multibocks]

No animal on earth, humans included, “mate for life” or go into some sort of romantic mourning if the mate dies.

If you take a look at this list of animals that mate for life you'll find a very important species:
http://www.wonderquest.com/animal-mate-for-life.htm

The bald fucking eagle. *salutes the flag*

Did you even read the article?

Of course, it depends on what you mean by "mate for life." These creatures do mate for life in the social sense of living together in pairs but they rarely stay strictly faithful. About 90 percent of the 9,700 bird species pair, mate, and raise chicks together — some returning together to the same nest site year after year. Males, however, often raise other males’ offspring unknowingly. DNA testing reveals that the social-pair male did not father 10, 20, and sometimes 40 percent of the chicks.

Black vultures, though, discourage infidelity. All nearby vultures attack any vulture caught philandering.

So I guess we should have a Black Vulture for the national bird.

Also:

One species is absolutely monogamous. In the black darkness of the deep sea, the tiny male anglerfish (perhaps one tenth the female’s size) detects and follows the scent trail of a female of his own species. Once found, he bites his chosen one and hangs on. His skin fuses to hers, their bodies grow together (he gets his food through a common blood supply and becomes essentially a sperm producing organ). They mate for life — a short life for the male.

So, truely, only one species on the planet is absolutely monogamous... and that's due to physical limitations.

edit: P.S. God bless George Carlin... and, yes, the irony is not escaping me =)