Mammal Sex
30 Dec 2009 3 Comments
in Fast Facts
Did you know that dolphins and bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees) are the only two mammals other than humans who engage in sex for pleasure? This means that they’re the only mammals aside from us humans who copulate even if such activity is completely separate from the purpose of reproduction.
The females of most mammals and animals in general give off detectable signs of their fertility: a change in appearance, a distinct smell, sound, and other specific signaling behavior. This is because engaging in sex can be precarious for them due to some factors, and mating can be done only seasonally when females ovulate.
*Males need precious energy to produce sperm, attract females, defeat rivals and complete the mating – process.
*The mating process takes away time from other vital activities such as hunting for food or caring for the previous offspring.
*Mating pairs are vulnerable to predators and enemy attacks.
*Competition for females can sometimes be harmful or even deadly to the males, and sometimes the females too.
Because of these factors, most mammals and animals in general can’t afford to waste precious energy engaging in sex when there is no possibility that their genes will be passed on to a possible next generation. Reproduction may not be possible if the female is:
*not yet sexually mature
*not ovulating
*already pregnant
*still caring for previous offspring
*beyond the age of reproduction
So, to avoid the risks of mating when reproduction is not possible, it is essential that the females, like said earlier, indicate signs of their fertility and ovulation.
Human females, however, go through what we call concealed ovulation, and there is no reliable way for the male to discern when the female is fertile (without medical technology, the females too can’t be sure). This allows physically mature humans to engage in sex any time without complete certainty that the female will be impregnated. The same is true with dolphins and bonobos, who are receptive to sex all year round!
However, this is not the reason why dolphins and bonobos are claimed to be the only mammals other than humans who have sex for pleasure. Other animals are completely unaware that their sexual activities are elated to reproduction; they engage in sex because they are biologically programmed to do so, in order to satisfy an urge. Some birds also, invite males to mate even after laying eggs, but there is an ascribed purpose to this behavior. It is a biological trick to fool males into caring for their hatchlings.
Sex for pleasure involves willingness and regularity. Aside from humans, dolphins and bonobos are the only mammals who engage in sex willingly and regularly (even there is no possibility of reproduction), and with multiple partners! There may be another reason for this, but it has not yet been discovered. So as of now, it is a fact that dolphins and bonobos are the only two mammals aside from humans who engage in sex for pleasure.
Now you know. You’ve just been educated. Thanks to Wikipedia and other online sources.
3 Comments (+add yours?)
Leave a Reply
Dec 31, 2009 @ 16:54:18
Maybe it has something to do with dolphins and chimpanzees being extremely social animals. Interesting post.
Apr 10, 2010 @ 17:07:11
Wonderful blog, some fascinating points. I remember 2 of days ago, I have visited a similar post.
Apr 30, 2010 @ 09:28:05
Thanks for the well-thought article. I am actually at work right now! So I need to go off without reading all I’d like. However, I put your blog on my RSS feed so that I can read even more.