Sexual behaviors between two females or between two males are a reality recognized by the scientific community in the animal kingdom. However, this was not always the case. Although the first observations of this type of relational dynamics date back to the 18th and 19th centuries , for several decades it was a poorly studied reality that science did not dare to rigorously address.
The main reason for the lack of these studies was that animal homosexuality did not fit the premises from which the largely established framework of knowledge appeared to have been constructed, as at first glance it gave the impression that it contradicted Darwinian theory . This appealed to the need of the species to reproduce to perpetuate their existence and avoid extinction, so it suggested that the relationships between male and female would be the only ones that would have made sense.
However, not only in humans, but in many species such as bonobos, Japanese macaques, penguins and even beetles , these practices are an undeniable reality. Whether this fits Darwinian theory or not, animal homosexuality occurs in over a thousand different species. But it is also that, the more the issue is faced, the more it seems that in the end it does conform to what Darwin proposed and fulfills different functions for survival.
Bonobos , for example, use sexual relations as a way to strengthen social ties between individuals in the same community, especially between the youngest and most dominant males.
In the case of Tribolium or Tenebrio beetles , when two males have sex with each other and one ejaculates on the other, the latter will later interact with a female who will have a better chance of inseminating thanks to it.
Female Japanese macaques , for their part, tend to have sex with each other on a particularly recurring basis for the mere fact of experiencing pleasure , although with this they manage to motivate the males to have even more sex with them.
What does seem, however, is that in the animal kingdom most species do not tend to have only homosexual relational behaviors, but rather bisexual ones . In any case, there is still a long way to go in this area of research to cover the gaps in scientific knowledge left by the previous two centuries. And multitudes of scientists are interested in immersing themselves in their study once and for all.
As the Professor of Organic Biology at Imperial College London, Vincent Savolainen , one of the pioneers in this field of study, states: “It is still risky and unusual research that is difficult to support through traditional funding avenues.” But the scientist remains hopeful and calls to continue looking for “organizations that believe in this research and are willing to take the risk.”
Vincent Savolainenet al. Evolution of Homosexuality, Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science (2017). DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3403-1
