From: Grant Callaghan (grantc4@hotmail.com)
Date: Fri 21 Feb 2003 - 15:24:38 GMT
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
Even in human societies men most often hang around with men and women with
women for social purposes and it has nothing to do with sex. Although an
Anthropologist from another planet might conclude otherwise. There are also
matriarchal human societies in which the women don't even know who the
fathers of their children are. I can't remember the name, but I read about
one such in India back in Anthro 101. When we spot one group of a species
involved in a single behavior, we can't make sweeping generalizations about
its application to the species as a whole. We have no idea what is going on
in the minds of the monkeys we observe - just how they are acting. In
other words, we know the what but not the why.
Grant
Grant
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