Why Do Bonobos Use Sex for Social Relationships? —Physical Contact and Expressions of Love Beyond Reproduction—

Aisha Suirou (Biology)
Akane Citrine (Artistic Anatomy & Expressions of Love)

Abstract

Bonobo sexual behavior is not limited to mating for the purpose of reproduction.

Bonobos use their bodies to regulate social relationships through genital contact between females, sexual contact in high-tension situations, reconciliation after conflicts, and communication involving facial expressions and vocalizations.

So, can this be called "love"?

In this paper, Aisha Suirou examines from a biological perspective the situations in which bonobo sexual behavior occurs and what functions it serves.

Akane Citrine considers, from the perspective of artistic anatomy and the expression of love, how overlapping bodies can change the distance between individuals and what kind of relationship expression this can become.

We do not romanticize bonobos as "animals of love and peace," nor do we reduce their behavior solely to reproduction and instinct.

We will look at the structure through which relationships are established, adjusted, and in some cases, repaired through physical contact.

Writing Responsibilities

* Introduction/Conclusion: Aisha Suirou, Akane Citrine
* Bonobo Ecology and Functions of Sexual Behavior: Aisha Suirou
* Physical Contact, Facial Expressions, and Expressions of Love: Akane Citrine
* Comparison with Human Society and Yohin Philosophy: Co-authored

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◆◆ Are Bonobos "Apes with High Sexual Activity"?

Written by: Aisha Suirou

When you hear the word "bonobo,"

They're those apes that have a lot of sex, right?

Many people might think that.

Well, that in itself isn't entirely wrong.

Bonobos engage in sexual contact in diverse combinations, including not only male-female mating but also female-female, male-male, adult-adult, and immature-immature pairings.

But you know,

If you only find the "high sexual activity" part interesting, you lose sight of when, with whom, and in what situations bonobos perform these behaviors.

In biology, we look not only at the form of the behavior but also at what happens before and after it.

What was happening before it occurred?

How did the distance between the two individuals change after the contact?

Was there food present?

Had there been a conflict?

Was the partner a familiar individual?

What was their rank?

Only by tracking those details can we begin to see the meaning of the behavior.

Research on wild female bonobos has shown that genital contact between females cannot be explained by a single purpose, suggesting it may have multiple functions, such as reconciliation after conflict, tension regulation, and social status.

In other words, bonobo sexual behavior is not just "increased mating for reproduction."

The same physical action serves different functions depending on the situation.

That's what's interesting about it.

◆◆ Why Does Sexual Contact Increase in Front of Food?

Written by: Aisha Suirou

For living creatures, food is a critical resource.

If there is plenty and everyone can eat freely, conflict is less likely to occur.

But when the amount is limited or one individual can monopolize it, the atmosphere changes.

Who gets to eat first?

Will I be attacked if I get close?

Is there a share for me?

Tension arises within the group.

In bonobos, it has been observed that genital contact between females increases in situations where competition over access to food is expected. Studies examining cortisol in saliva have also shown that social stress increases and sexual contact rises in situations where access to food is restricted.

The important thing here is that

Sexual contact does not mean that conflict will always disappear.

Bonobos get angry, they fight, and they have rank relationships.

Sexual contact is not a peace device that magically erases conflict.

However, when competition is about to begin, they approach the other individual and make physical contact.

Through that behavior,

I am not entering into a state of total hostility with you.

They may be confirming that kind of relationship.

That is natural for a living creature.

For animals that live in groups, obtaining food and not breaking relationships with companions are both matters of survival.

They fight to eat.

But if they fight too much, the group will break apart.

Bonobo social sexual behavior may have developed as one way to regulate that balance.

◆◆ Is It True That They "Make Up with Sex"?

Written by: Aisha Suirou

Bonobos are often described as,

When a fight happens, they make up with sexual behavior.

This is not a complete fabrication.

Examples have been observed where the parties involved engage in sexual contact after a fight, or where a third party approaches the individual who was attacked to offer embraces, contact, or mounting.

However, not all conflicts are resolved through sexual behavior.

They may groom each other.

They may touch each other's bodies.

They may embrace.

They may distance themselves.

Sometimes they do nothing at all.

Sexual behavior is one of the relationship repair tools that bonobos possess.

And they don't do it the same way with everyone.

There are results showing that contact meant for consolation is more likely to occur between kin or individuals who are already close.

Therefore, looking at bonobos and thinking,

No matter who the partner is, you can just have sex to make up.

That is not the right way to think about it.

The meaning of the behavior is inseparable from the relationship that already exists.

Distance from the partner.

Past interactions.

Rank.

Closeness.

The tension of the moment.

Even with the same contact, its function changes depending on the relationship.

◆◆ What Does Contact Between Females Create?

Written by: Aisha Suirou


When considering bonobo sexual behavior, the relationship between females has received particular attention.

Female bonobos frequently engage in behavior where they face each other ventrally and rub their external genitalia together.

This is generally called GG-rubbing.

In studies of wild groups, female-female GG-rubbing accounts for many of the observed sexual contacts between females, and it has been reported that this is associated with the two individuals remaining in close proximity afterward, as well as an increase in urinary oxytocin levels. A correlation between the frequency of sexual contact and cooperative relationships during conflicts has also been shown.

However,

Because they did GG-rubbing, a friendship was born.

You cannot simply determine a causal relationship like that.

It is possible that individuals who are already close to each other are simply more likely to make contact.

In fact, another study found that the choice of partner for female-female GG-rubbing was strongly related to physical proximity.

Do they touch because they are close?

Or do they become close because they touch?

I think both are probably repeated.

They are close.

They make physical contact.

They stay close afterward.

Opportunities for cooperation increase.

They make contact again.

A relationship is not something that is completed in a single action.

Small contacts accumulate and are maintained.

That's the same for human relationships, isn't it?

◆◆ Director, Bonobos Don't Just Talk with Their Genitals

Written by: Akane Citrine

From here on, I'll look at it as physical expression.

Director!

When you hear about bonobo sexual behavior, people always focus only on genital contact, right?

But the actual body isn't that partial.

Approaching.

Presenting the body in front of the partner.

Reaching out a hand.

Touching.

Holding.

Turning the face.

Making sounds.

Leaning one's weight.

Genital contact is just one part of that series of movements.

When bonobos begin sexual contact, they may combine not only body posture but also beckoning, touching, reaching movements, facial expressions, and vocalizations. There are reports of specific gestures being used to guide the partner's body into a specific posture.

In other words, bonobos aren't just bumping their bodies together on impulse.

Come here.

Get into this position.

Let's make contact now.
They are using their whole bodies to send signals that have those kinds of functions.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean they are forming sentences like human language in their heads.

But it's also not a behavior that can be established while completely ignoring the partner's reaction.

There is the side that approaches.

There is the side that receives it.

They may respond, or they may not.

If you look at it as physical expression, this is not something that can be completed by one individual alone.

It is a movement that is established by the partner's response.