The behavior may have evolved multiple times and could serve a wide variety of purposes in mammals other than humans.
A new study found that same-sex sexual behavior helps establish and maintain positive social relationships in animals including chimpanzees, bighorn sheep, lions, and wolves.. Still, scientists don’t understand exactly how it came to be or why it happens.
“With the current data available, it seems that it has evolved multiple times.” Gómez is an evolutionary biologist at the Experimental Station of Arid Zones in Almería, Spain. . This research focused on same-sex sexual behavior defined as short-term courtship or mating interactions, instead of a more permanent sexual preference.
Additionally, male same-sex sexual behavior was likely evolved in species with high rates of male adulticide–-when adult animals kill other adults. The team believes that this suggests the behavior may be an adaptation meant to mitigate the risks of violent conflict between males.that the findings add to other research and widen the scope of what it means for a behavior to be considered adaptive.
“This general question of evolutionary function—that behavior must aid in survival and reproduction—what this paper is arguing is that reaffirming social bonds, resolving conflicts, managing social tensions, to the extent that same-sex sexual behavior preserves those functions—it’s also adaptive,” Webb said.
Webb also added that it makes sense that other animals would have sex for a variety of reasons the way that humans do., so our understanding of the evolution of same-sex sexual behavior may continue to change as more mammalian species are studied.Laura is a science news writer, covering a wide variety of subjects, but she is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life.
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