Female bonobos 'advertise' homosexual bonds

[doggie]

Ok so is the problem that they don't believe in Jesus or the christian god? or did they just sin too much? father was not in their lives enough?

I thought god made everything but humans perfectly and that he hates fags??

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17117661

Female bonobos "advertise" their homosexual activity to important audiences, say scientists.

Researchers studying communication among the apes found that females made the most noise during sex if the "alpha female" was nearby.

Low-ranking females that were invited to have sex with high-ranking females would also call to tell other group members about the bond.

Experts suggest females communicate the encounters to boost their status.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

It's all about climbing up the social ladder for female bonobosâ€

The species Pan paniscus are referred to as the "erotic" or "promiscuous apes" because they regularly engage in sexual contact with both their own and the opposite sex.

"[sex] is used to reduce stress and competition, develop affiliations, express and test social relationships and for reconciling conflicts and consoling victims in distress," explained Dr Zanna Clay, from Emory University in Atlanta, who has been studying vocalisations in the species for five years.

In order to understand more about communication among the apes, Dr Clay led an international team of researchers to observe a group at the Lola Ya Bonobo sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa.

Building on earlier work, their findings published in the journal Scientific Reports identified a pattern in the calls made by females during homosexual encounters.

"Using vocalisations, females only advertise sexual contacts with important group members," said Dr Clay, "It's all about climbing up the social ladder for female bonobos."

By invitation

The team found that calls were most likely to be made by lower-ranking females, particularly if they were "picked" by a higher-ranking female.

The females also appeared to consider their audience - calling more if the most important group member, the alpha female, was present.

Continue reading the main story

Sex in bonobo society

A female-female pair of bonobos interact sexually while others observe © Zanna Clay for Amis de Bonobos du Congo

Female bonobos have forward facing genitalia and often have face-to-face sexual contact with other females

Despite being considerably more sexually active than chimpanzees, bonobos do not have more offspring

Females become sexually mature at 12 years old but will engage in sexual activity from younger ages

After a conflict, males may make genital contact with their rival, in order to defuse the tension

"Bonobos appear to be highly aware of the dynamics governing their social worlds," said Dr Clay.

She suggests that the females have adopted the calls, usually associated with reproduction, as a strategic tool.

"As a low-ranked female, advertising [a] social-sexual bonding with another dominant group member may serve to strengthen their social position, and signal this to the alpha."

Unlike their close relatives, the chimpanzees, bonobo societies are not male-dominated. Dr Clay suggests that this may be due to the strong relationships between females.

"In bonobos, sexual interactions represent a powerful means to enable females to develop and maintain social relationships, and it is these bonds which lie at the heart of their raised status in bonobo society."

[HijabiLady]

One of my classes in undergrad was Comparative Psychology (basically comparing the behavior of humans against various parts of the animal kingdom) and we learned that Bonobos are basically the sex hippies of the primate world. Incidentally they are MUCH less aggressive and violent than their cousins, the common chimp.

I will confess to a very adolescent image that flitted through my head while reading your article. I pictured a beta Bonobo screeching out, "Look! I am tapping some alpha ass! I am now part of the popular group!" Sorry. My mind went there.

[Elle]

It's incredible how in a species where the females are able to take control of their sexuality without prejudice, there is much less violence. Sex isn't bad, so they all have it with whomever without worrying about being teased or looked down on.

I'm surprised the fundies allow their kids to even look at animals with how many species exhibit homosexual activity.

[Artemis]

Uhh - how is this relevant to snark?

Poor little bonobos - not even able to engage in their innocent pleasures without being dragged onto a snark board! Bless their little furry quims, they do not deserve it . . . .

Tell me, Doggie, if I were to do a word cloud for your posts on FJ which words do you think would be largest and occur most frequently?

I wonder how I could upload one?

[doggie]

Uhh - how is this relevant to snark?

it is a snark on fundies and that homosexuality is not something god makes people. So how do you explain animals practicing it?

[Artemis]

it is a snark on fundies and that homosexuality is not something god makes people. So how do you explain animals practicing it?

Ok, can you run that past me again, I think I didn't get it? What do you mean about homosexuality not being something god makes people?

Since you're there, if you'd like to give me some words for a Doggie word cloud I'll do one in the morning when I wake up :) It's quite late here now, so I will be signing off shortly before I turn into a pumpkin.

[CanadianHippie]

Ok, can you run that past me again, I think I didn't get it? What do you mean about homosexuality not being something god makes people?

Since you're there, if you'd like to give me some words for a Doggie word cloud I'll do one in the morning when I wake up :) It's quite late here now, so I will be signing off shortly before I turn into a pumpkin.

Fundies are part of the "It's a choice" crowd. So they believe you aren't made gay by God but give in to a life of sin of your own volition. This on the other hand indicates that homosexuality is a natural born desire.

[doggie]

Since you're there, if you'd like to give me some words for a Doggie word cloud I'll do one in the morning when I wake up :) It's quite late here now, so I will be signing off shortly before I turn into a pumpkin.

Sorry I always have trouble complaining what I mean I always expect people to know what I am talking about without any details. According to fundies god does not like homosexuality and it is something people choose to do. animals are soulless creatures that god made and never changed. so god must have made these bonobos homosexual.

[doggie]

[quote="CanadianHippie"

Fundies are part of the "It's a choice" crowd. So they believe you aren't made gay by God but give in to a life of sin of your own volition. This on the other hand indicates that homosexuality is a natural born desire.

[Boogalou]

I disagree, I think that this plays right into fundies' hands. A lot of the fundies think that homosexuality is something that people are born with and that it's part of their sin nature. Everyone has a sin nature, gay people are just predisposed to being gay as opposed to other sins. People are born with it and it needs to be fought. For them, it would be like bringing up evidence chimpanzees kill other chimpanzees and saying its natural and therefore moral.

I don't believe any of that, btw, it's just my understanding of what fundies believe.

On another note, bonobos kind of freak me out. In certain pictures they look so human it's a little unsettling.

[Artemis]

What about this? A Wordle compilation for your two posts on the front page. Interesting, don't you think?

[doggie]

Just don't do it for the last few days with all the santorum crap and political stuff that would make me sick.

[Artemis]

Just don't do it for the last few days with all the santorum crap and political stuff that would make me sick.

Really? Oh, I'm sorry, I'd hate for you to feel sick. It is quite sick-making, isn't it, when people keep banging on and on about their personal obsessions and fetishes. Mind you, Santorum's really quite tasteful compared to some stuff we get here. :)

Sleep well :) I'll do a Santorum one in the morning. (Not just yours, actually, perhaps generally Santorum.)

[doggie]

Really? Oh, I'm sorry, I'd hate for you to feel sick. It is quite sick-making, isn't it, when people keep banging on and on about their personal obsessions and fetishes. Mind you, Santorum's really quite tasteful compared to some stuff we get here. :)

Sleep well :) I'll do a Santorum one in the morning. (Not just yours, actually, perhaps generally Santorum.)

ya I feel really sick Posting things that interest me. What I post here are just things that I find interesting or associate with fundies. Anything strange, crazy, funny, silly, and about anything else interests me but most won't work here.

all my stuff for the most part comes from news apps and I don't even have to hunt for it. 90% of whatI find interesting would not work here Like a whole house made by ikea and other wacky things.