Same-sex primate behaviour is more normal than you think, study reveals
“People haven’t realised that same-sex behaviour is as important for the functioning of a society," says wildlife expert Vincent Savolainen
By Aaron Sugg
A large new study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, examined same-sex behaviour in 491 non-human primate groups, finding such behaviours in 59 primate species.
The study focused on homosexual behaviours such as mounting, genital touching, and sucking, and found that they were “common” in at least 23 species.
Researchers also found that same-sex behaviour was more likely to occur in primate species living in drier environments, where food was scarce and threats were higher.
Primates will take-part in same-sex activities if female species is too small or big for intercourse
It was also more common in species with pronounced differences in body size between males and females, longer lifespans, and more complex social structures and hierarchies.
Taken together, these results suggest that same-sex behaviour in primates is highly context-dependent. Where it is ecological pressures (how many predators there are), characteristics of the species, such as lifespan or differences in body size, or social organisation – how complex the group is.
Vincent Savolainen, director of the Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet at Imperial College London, told NBC News that these behaviours are important in nature.
“It’s very useful, it’s very important” – Vincent Savolainen on same-sex behaviours in different species
“What we found shows that same-sex behaviour is not something bizarre, aberrant or rare. It’s everywhere, it’s very useful, it’s very important,” he said.
“People haven’t realised that same-sex behaviour is as important for the functioning of a society as feeding, fighting, reproducing, or looking after offspring,” Savolainen added.
Marlene Zuk, a University of Minnesota professor and evolutionary biologist, told NBC that by studying only non-human primates, the research highlights how stigma and assumptions around sexual behaviour differ between species.
“Sexual behaviour is often about more than reproduction” – Marlene Zuk on same-sex behaviours in primates
“Sexual behaviour is often about more than reproduction, and that’s certainly true in our species. But people don’t tend to think that it’s also true in other species,” Zuk said.
“They have this idea that, in all animals except humans, individuals are like old-fashioned Roman Catholics – only having sex briefly, when it will result in offspring, and with the lights off. And that’s just not how animals behave either.”
In a 2023 study by Nature Communications, they reported that same-sex sexual behaviour was found in 261 mammal species, including humpback whales, elephants, giraffes and more.
In Frozen Planet II, David Attenborough also introduced us to the Antipodean wandering albatross, where the male species couple up with each other when the females are away.
Subscribe to Attitude magazine in print, download the Attitude app, and follow Attitude on Apple News+. Plus, find Attitude on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube.
