Field research
on bonobos started in the 1970s, making this a relatively new field. The bonobo
was discovered by science in 1929, and was given the Latin name Pan
paniscus, or Diminutive Pan. Bonobos were also known as pygmy chimpanzees. The archaic term for the chimpanzee, Pan satyrus,
would have been a much better name for bonobos, since a Satyr was a lustful
creature in Greek mythology (de Waal, 32).
Bonobos share about 98% of their DNA with humans (de Wall, 32). Bonobo behaviour is fascinating because we hope that it may explain how we, as a
species evolved, as well as make more sense of our own behaviour. Oftentimes we
humans find the behavior of our own species perplexing as well.
Yes, there has been a lot of talk within
the scientific community of bonobos being peaceful, and how we humans, as a
species, could learn how to “Make Love Not War” like bonobos do, but all is not
as it seems. Bonobos have also been found to exhibit more aggression in
relation to food than chimpanzees (Stanford, 407). Just recently, researchers
in Salonga National Park have observed
bonobos hunting and eating immature Redtail (Cercopithecus ascanius),
Black Mangabey (Cerccebus aterrimus), and Wolf’s Guenon (Cercophithecus
wolfi) monkeys. Researchers believe that both bonobo and chimpanzee hunting
is relatively rare and that observation has to be at close-range and fairly
frequent in order to detect hunting behaviour. Unlike chimpanzee hunting
parties, which consist of nothing but males, the bonobo hunting parties which
were observed consisted of mostly females: 4 female, 1 male; 3 female, 1 male;
5 female, 2 male; 3 female, 2 male; 4 female; 2 male. (Surbeck, R906). These
new findings indicate that there is more research which has to be conducted in an
effort to reassess our perception of bonobos.
Bonobos live in a fission-fusion
society, which is characterized by small groups being formed for foraging
purposes, which join with larger groups within the community (Hohmann, 113).
Bonobo society is matriarchal, meaning that women are the dominant sex in your
society (Stanford, 404). The oldest females tend to occupy the highest-rankings
in bonobo society (Stanford, 402). Females appear to have stronger bonds with
other females than males do with other males. This is different from what we
know of chimpanzees, where males are the dominant sex and have stronger bonds
with other males than females have with each other (de Waal, 36).
Bonobo sexuality is complex, as
well. Bonobos stare into each others eyes during coitus and engage in
face-to-face positions one out of every three times in the wild (de Waal, 34). Female
bonobos engage in Genitogenital rubbing (G-G rubbing) with other females. G-G
rubbing consists of two females embracing each other in a face-to-face position
and rubbing their engorged genitals together (Hohmann, 108). G-G rubbing is the
most common form of sexual behaviour in bonobos, and is absent in chimpanzee
sexuality (Stanford, 407). Female bonobos have a rather large and
well-developed clitoris and clitoral penetration has been observed (Bagemihl,
270). The average sexual contact between
females lasts about 13 seconds (de Waal, 34).
For the longest, it was believed
that humans were the only primate who engaged in a face-to-face sexual
position, that is, until we observed bonobos in face-to-face positions. Bonobo
females have a more ventrally positioned vagina than chimpanzees do, thus
making such a position possible. It was once believed that this positioning of
the vagina, face-to-face copulation, and female orgasm were all results of
bipedalism (Lloyd, 69). Although bonobos have been observed to walk upright,
thus enabling them to be more effective at carrying food, they are still not
considered to be fully bipedal (Nova/BBC).
As far as your chances with the
ladies are concerned, there is much evidence of bisexual behaviour within
bonobos of both sexes, so it depends on which part of an estrus cycle the
female is in and if she wishes to mate with a male. One study has shown that
the female rate of copulation with males increases if the size of the mixed-sex
group she travels with increases (Hohmann, 114). roup size varies seasonally depending on
availability of food (Hohmann, 117).
There are two male equivalents to
G-G rubbing: Penis-fencing, in which two males hang from a branch and rub
penises together while in a face-to-face position; and Scrotum rubbing, which
is similar in nature to G-G rubbing (de Waal, 34). Penile penetration has not
been observed in male bonobo homosexual activity (Bagemihl, 272).
Laboratory experiments conducted on
female Stump-tailed Macaques (Macaca arctoides) show that they
experience orgasm (de Waal, 34). Researchers have also observed orgasmic muscle
spasms in female bonobos during G-G rubbing (Lloyd, 128).
Female G-G rubbing serves many
purposes in bonobo society. First of all, it helps to alleviate tensions
between individuals. For example, if food is scarce, groups of bonobos foraging
run the risk of getting aggressive with each other, sex is used as a way to
calm tensions. Genital contact is initiated by lower-ranking individuals: they
solicit sex from higher-ranking individuals. It is interesting to note that the
higher-ranking individuals are in closer proximity to food, thus, lower-ranking
individuals have to be close to the higher-ranking bonobo in order to have sex,
thus increasing their own proximity to the food (Hohmann, 115).
Another purpose for G-G rubbing is
reconciliation. If there is a have an agonistic encounter between two
individuals, the lower-ranking individual will solicit the higher-ranking
individual for sex after such an encounter. As a form of conflict resolution,
it appears to be quite effective (Hohmann, 112).
The last use of G-G rubbing is for
expression of social status. Subordinate females who solicit sex from a
dominant female assume the mountee (bottom position), and the higher-ranking
female is the mounter (top position) (Hohmann, 115).
Bonobo sexuality is fascinating
because it varies in many different ways: sexual positions, sexual orientation,
and the fact that bonobos engage in sex for non-reproductive reasons (tension
regulation, reconciliation after conflicts, and as an expression of social
status). This difference distinguishes bonobos from many other species in the
animal kingdom who only engage in sex when they are in heat or estrus. Bonobos,
like humans, engage in sex year-round and for a myriad of reasons. Bonobo research is a new area of study. The fact that we just
discovered that bonobos kill and eat other monkey demonstrates that we are
still in the dark about their behaviour and society. The fact that we looked to
bonobos to convince us that peaceful cohabitation is and can be natural, speaks
volumes about how we as a species hope to find an answer to our own violent
behaviour.
Humans look to our nearest primate
relatives (bonobos and chimpanzees) to answer our questions about human nature.
I suspect that, as any study of behavior has shown, for every question that
gets answered, ten more questions will appear to take its place.
Origins and Meanings of the Latin
Scientific Classifications
Black Mangabey (Cercocebus
aterrimus)
Ater
(Latin) black, hence aterrimus (Latin) very black. Inhabiting forests of
southern Congo
Red-tailed
Monkey (Cercophithecus ascanius)
Ascanius was the
legendary son of Aeneas and Creusa in Greek mythology. This monkey is
olive-green with a red tail living in a small region in western Africa (Grotch, 519).
Pygmy Chimpanzee
(Pan paniscus)
-iscus
(Latin) diminutive, suffix, ‘little Pan’: another common name was Dwarf
Chimpanzee. The name chimpanzee is from a Zaire
Stump-tailed
Macaque (Macaca arctoides) formerly speciosa
Arktos
(Greek) a bear –oides (New Latin), from eidos (Greek) apparent
shape, form; ‘bear-like’; This monkey is very hairy and heavily built with a
stumpy tail about 2 in
(5 cm) long. Inhabiting south-east
References Cited
Bagemihl, B.,
(1999). Biological Exuberance: Animal homosexuality and Natural Diversity, St
Martin’s Press: New York
BBC documentary
on Youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eubDSQrFako
Grotch, A. F.,
(1995) Latin Names Explained: A Guide to the Scientific Classification of Reptiles,
Birds, and Mammals. Facts on File, New
York
Hohmann, G. and
Fruth, B., (2000). Use and Function of Genital Contacts Among Female Bonobos.
Animal Behaviour, 60, pp 107-120. http://www.eva.mpg.de/primat/pdf/AB-paper-July-00.pdf
Lloyd, Elisabeth
A., (2005). The Case of the Female Orgasm: Bias in the Science of Evolution. Harvard University
Press: Cambridge , MA
Nova: The Bonobo
in All of Us. Video. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/bonobo-all-us.html
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