Comparing sister species
Researchers from our Department of Psychology compared sexual behaviour within sanctuary-living bonobos and chimpanzees during times of social stress (such as after a fight or before competitive feeding).Their aim was to understand if using sex to ease social tension is a common behavioural trait between the two sister species.
Bonobos are well known to regularly use sex to resolve disputes and repair social bonds. However, until now the role of sex in chimpanzee society has been less well understood.
Window to the past
The team found that both bonobos and chimpanzees used sex in similar ways to ease tension and reaffirm social bonds before feeding.Bonobos also often had sex more after fights to repair social relations.
Chimpanzees, however, may be more likely to use other behaviours, like body kissing, after a disagreement.
Age did not influence post-fight sexual behaviour in either species. However, older apes were more likely to initiate sex before feeding, suggesting it may be a learned behaviour passed down over time.
Researchers also noted that female bonobos and male chimpanzees were more likely to initiate sex prior to feeding, but in both species, sex occurred in both hetero and homosexual combinations.
The findings provide a fascinating window into our evolutionary past, supporting the idea that using sex for social purposes can be traced back to the common ancestor humans share with apes, over six million years ago.
The study took place at two African great ape sanctuaries: Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust in Zambia.
In total over 1,400 hours of observations were taken involving 53 bonobos and 75 chimpanzees, across seven months.
This research was led by postdoctoral researcher Jake Brooker working alongside senior-author Professor Zanna Clay.
The study was carried out at the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary and the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust. It included researchers from Harvard University and Emory University in the USA, Utrecht University in The Netherlands and Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany.
The research was funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation: Diverse Intelligences Framework.
The research was conducted with full approval from the Chimfunshi Research Advisory Board (CRAB), the Senior Veterinary Advisory Team of Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary, and the Animal Welfare Ethics and Research Board (AWERB) of Durham University. Find out more about animal research at Durham University.
Our Department of Psychology is ranked 74th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024. Psychology webpages
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