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1:10pm April 9, 2012
deconversionmovement: Female Bonobos Use Homosexual Sex to Increase Social Status (PhysOrg.com) — Female bonobos (Pan paniscus) often form strong bonds with other females, and these bonds affect their position in the social hierarchy. Scientists from St Andrews University in the UK looked at the part sexual interactions might play in the formation of these social bonds, since female bonobos are known to often engage in sexual contacts with other females. The researchers, Zanna Clay and Klaus Zuberbühler, observed bonobos in the naturalistic setting of the Lola Ya Bonobo Sanctuary at Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. They found that high-ranking females rarely interacted sexually with other females, but low-ranking females interacted sexually with all females. Most of these sexual contacts were initiated by the female having higher status in the group; sexual contact initiated with lower-ranking females was usually ignored by those of higher rank. The scientists also found that the “copulation calls” of squeals and screams, made by females during genital contact with other females, were affected by the social rank of both participants, and by the audience present. The calls were significantly more prominent if the alpha female was among the audience, and females of lower rank were more likely to make calls if they were interacting with high-ranking females. The call duration and volume were not found to be related to physical factors such as duration of the sexual contact or body position. Read More What sucks is that for a long time humans were so offended and embarrassed by bonobos that nobody was looking into their society at all. Personally I think it’s great that many species, including bonobos and parrots, are big on sex without being embarrassed by it.

deconversionmovement:

Female Bonobos Use Homosexual Sex to Increase Social Status

(PhysOrg.com) — Female bonobos (Pan paniscus) often form strong bonds with other females, and these bonds affect their position in the social hierarchy. Scientists from St Andrews University in the UK looked at the part sexual interactions might play in the formation of these social bonds, since female bonobos are known to often engage in sexual contacts with other females.

The researchers, Zanna Clay and Klaus Zuberbühler, observed bonobos in the naturalistic setting of the Lola Ya Bonobo Sanctuary at Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. They found that high-ranking rarely interacted sexually with other females, but low-ranking females interacted sexually with all females. Most of these sexual contacts were initiated by the female having higher status in the group; sexual contact initiated with lower-ranking females was usually ignored by those of higher rank.

The scientists also found that the “copulation calls” of squeals and screams, made by females during genital contact with other females, were affected by the social rank of both participants, and by the audience present. The calls were significantly more prominent if the alpha female was among the audience, and females of lower rank were more likely to make calls if they were interacting with high-ranking females. The call duration and volume were not found to be related to physical factors such as duration of the sexual contact or body position.

Read More

What sucks is that for a long time humans were so offended and embarrassed by bonobos that nobody was looking into their society at all. Personally I think it’s great that many species, including bonobos and parrots, are big on sex without being embarrassed by it.