Against nature? - Naturhistorisk Museum. Pleasure ride: A male killer whale rides the dorsal fin of another male.
Sex just for the pleasure of it is common in many animals. Photo: Brian Scott. Original photo obtainable from REF: picture no PIC00166.jpg Can animals be homosexual? The sexual urge is strong in all animals. Two homosexual male shelducks, Tadorna tadorna, mating. Which animals are homosexual? The earliest known mention of animal homosexuality is found in a 2300 year old description of hyenas by Aristotle. Homosexuality has been observed in most vertebrate groups, and also among insects, spiders, crustaceans, octopi and parasitic worms. The frequency of homosexuality varies from species to species. Why haven’t we been told?
Homosexuality in animals has been known since Antiquity, but has only recently made it into mainstream science. Some scientists have interpreted same-sex pairing as anything but sex. Homosexuality, evolution and humans. Gay animals out of the closet? - LiveScience. From male killer whales that ride the dorsal fin of another male to female bonobos that rub their genitals together, the animal kingdom tolerates all kinds of lifestyles.
A first-ever museum display, "Against Nature? ," which opened last month at the University of Oslo's Natural History Museum in Norway, presents 51 species of animals exhibiting homosexuality. "Homosexuality has been observed in more than 1,500 species, and the phenomenon has been well described for 500 of them," said Petter Bockman, project coordinator of the exhibition. The idea, however, is rarely discussed in the scientific community and is often dismissed as unnatural because it doesn't appear to benefit the larger cause of species continuation. For pleasure However, species continuation may not always be the ultimate goal, as many animals, including humans, engage in sexual activities more than is necessary for reproduction. Copulation could be used for alliance and protection among animals of the same sex.
Divergent beliefs about the nature of homosexuality. Some additional beliefs by religious conservatives are: More information on sexual orientation: One's sexual orientation is defined by sexual attraction to men and/or women, by self-identification, and by one's sexual fantasies.
Some people believe that there are only two sexual orientations: This is not a useful model, because it ignores two minorities: Most researchers into human sexuality look upon sexual orientation as a continuum: Human sexuality researchers generally believe that one's orientation is fixed and unchangeable. A number of techniques have been used to try to suppress homosexual feelings and/or create heterosexual feelings in gays and lesbians: 1 Other "treatments" included: The success rate of these therapies in actually changing clients' sexual orientation appears to have been extremely low or zero. Related essays on this web site: References: Copyright © 1996 to 2013 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance Latest update: 2013MAY-16 Author: B.A. Sponsored link. List of animals displaying homosexual behavior - Wikipedia, the.
Couple of two male mallard ducks in a nature reserve in Germany For these animals, there is documented evidence of homosexual behavior of one or more of the following kinds: sex, courtship, affection, pair bonding, or parenting, as noted in researcher and author Bruce Bagemihl's 1999 book Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity.
Selected images[edit] The all-female Brandon Davidson species Cnemidophorus neomexicanus (center), which reproduces via parthenogenesis, is shown flanked by two sexual species having males, C. inornatus (left) and C. tigris (right). Research has shown that simulated mating behavior increases fertility for Cnemidophorus neomexicanus. One female lies on top of another, playing the role of the male, the lizard that was on bottom has larger eggs. Male homosexuality has been inferred in several species of dragonflies. Mammals[edit] Selected mammals from the full list: Birds[edit] Selected birds from the full list: Fish[edit] Reptiles[edit]