RE: Japanese Monkey Pulls Darwin 's Leg

From: Vincent Campbell (VCampbell@dmu.ac.uk)
Date: Fri 21 Feb 2003 - 10:38:41 GMT

  • Next message: Grant Callaghan: "RE: Japanese Monkey Pulls Darwin 's Leg"

    Hi Kenneth,

    I saw a report about this study, but I was skeptical of whether it really represented a challenge to Darwinism per se, as opposed to those who favour sexual selection as the most important, driving factor of evolutionary change.

    I'm sure I read or heard somewhere a few years ago that some species of monkey or ape were very sexually active including across genders (bonobos perhaps? I can't remember). Anyway, isn't the suggestion that this is sex for social purposes, rather than mate selection. So like grooming which can occur far more frequently and far longer than strictly necessary on hygiene grounds, the purpose in the formation and maintenance of social bonds.

    Vincent

    > ----------
    > From: Van oost Kenneth
    > Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    > Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 7:42 PM
    > To: memetics
    > Subject: Japanese Monkey Pulls Darwin 's Leg
    >
    > Charles Darwin would turn in his grave now that the pretty confused
    > sexlife of the lesbo Japanese makaque rocks and ruins his theories.
    > For Darwin female animals are not only shy, they mate also very
    > often and they choose their long life partner exclusively in function
    > of procreation.
    > Males on the other hand do just the opposite:- they are extravert,
    > have a good sexual appitite and go for one another if it ever comes
    > to seduce a female.
    >
    > But the study done by Paul Vasey spoils Darwin's game.
    > He found out that the most free- ranging japanese makaque females
    > are bisexual_ " with a preference for other females " says the
    > Canadian biologist.
    > " Do they opt once in a while for a male, than they behave unruly.
    > Once the female has chosen a mate, she demands him to be serville
    > and meet her sexual wishes ". ( LVDB)
    >
    > Translated out of Dutch by Kenneth Van Oost, February 2003
    > Initial article Gentenaar 20/ 02 / 2003
    >
    > Paul Vasey can be found at,
    >
    > http://www.yirsite.com/paul_vasey/mate_competition_survey.html
    >
    > You can link from there !
    >
    > Enjoy the ride,
    >
    > Kenneth
    >

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