Same-sex sexual behavior among primates could be shaped partly by specific environmental and social conditions, according to a new study comparing 59 species.
Same-sex sexual behavior (SSB) in animals is increasingly recognized in the scientific community as widespread, as it's documented across the animal kingdom in about 1,500 species. Untangling how and why it emerged across so many diverse species is challenging, however. The new study, published Jan. 12 in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, found SSB may be beneficial — at least for primates — when ecological conditions are harsh and social conditions are complex.
