Word: bonobos
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1992-1992
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
This is not typical ape behavior. In similar situations, the bonobo's cousin, the common chimpanzee, might engage in greetings and dominance interactions with far less libido in evidence. Why then do the bonobos launch into extended orgies of polymorphous perversity...
...feature of the bonobo's forest environment offers a possible clue: fruit trees that produce an unusual abundance of food in a small area. This brings large numbers of bonobos into closer social contact than is typical for common chimpanzees. The presence of food can stimulate competition among the apes, and the larger the group the greater the danger of conflict. Frances White of Duke University argues that at these crucial times, sexual encounters reinforce bonds, particularly among females, helping individual apes to maintain access to food. Frans de Waal, the author of Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes...