Posted by Ines on March 19, 2007, at 19:23:42 [reposted on March 24, 2007, at 22:46:36 | original URL]
In reply to Re: Where did this post go off on such a tangent? » UgottaHaveHope, posted by yxibow on March 17, 2007, at 11:04:05
Dunno if this is off topic, but I can think of many examples in the animal world where homosexuality is present. In many primate species sex is used as a bonding or conciliatory gesture between members of the same sex. Bonobos are notorious for this, with females engaging in more sexual behaviours with one another than they do with males. What I cannot think of is any examples of individuals being exclusively homosexual. A behaviour that evolved for a particular purpose (reproduction) is being used to serve a different purpose in a society (like being used to strengthen bonds between males or females in a group of primates). We cannot say that that's an unnatural behaviour when it's widespread in non human species and serves a useful purpose to them.... Also that surely goes some way towards explaining the origins of homosexual behaviour in humans? Of course that would only explain how that behaviour could have evolved in our ancestors the first place. How it develops in any one individual, or the role it plays in human society, is a completely different matter.
poster:Ines
thread:743844
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20070322/msgs/743907.html