Sex differences in sexual partner acquisition, retention, and harassment during female homosexual consortships in Japanese macaques. 2004

Paul L Vasey
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4, Canada. paul.vasey@uleth.ca

Female Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) in certain populations are unusual in that they exhibit male-typical patterns of mounting behavior and sexual-partner preference. The goal of this study was to determine whether female Japanese macaques, from one such population, employ male-typical behavioral tactics to disrupt existing homosexual consortships, as well as to acquire and retain same-sex sexual partners. "Harassment" of homosexual consortships occurred when a sexually motivated, third-party male or female interrupted a consorting female couple by displacing or aggressing them. Sexual harassment was a male-typical strategy for disrupting existing homosexual consortships, but was rarely performed by females. "Intrusions" occurred when a male or female competitor attempted to acquire exclusive access to a female engaged in a homosexual consortship by targeting that female as the focus of competition and her partner as his/her competitor. "Sexual coercion" occurred when one individual alternately sexually solicited and aggressed another individual as part of the same behavioral sequence during an intrusion. Males employed consortship intrusions and sexual coercion when they attempted to acquire female sexual partners that were already engaged in homosexual consortships, but females rarely did so. However, females did employ male-typical patterns of aggressive competition and sexual coercion to retain same-sex sexual partners when confronted with male competitors' attempts to usurp those partners. These results indicate that female sexual activity during homosexual consortships is not uniformly "masculine" in expression, but rather is a mixture of male- and female-typical behaviors.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008251 Macaca A genus of the subfamily CERCOPITHECINAE, family CERCOPITHECIDAE, consisting of 16 species inhabiting forests of Africa, Asia, and the islands of Borneo, Philippines, and Celebes. Ape, Barbary,Ape, Black,Ape, Celebes,Barbary Ape,Black Ape,Celebes Ape,Macaque,Apes, Barbary,Apes, Black,Apes, Celebes,Barbary Apes,Black Apes,Celebes Apes,Macacas,Macaques
D008297 Male Males
D010152 Pair Bond In animals, the social relationship established between a male and female for reproduction. It may include raising of young. Bond, Pair,Bonds, Pair,Pair Bonds
D005260 Female Females
D000374 Aggression Behavior which may be manifested by destructive and attacking action which is verbal or physical, by covert attitudes of hostility or by obstructionism. Aggressions
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012726 Sexual Behavior, Animal Sexual activities of animals. Mating Behavior, Animal,Sex Behavior, Animal,Animal Mating Behavior,Animal Mating Behaviors,Animal Sex Behavior,Animal Sex Behaviors,Animal Sexual Behavior,Animal Sexual Behaviors,Mating Behaviors, Animal,Sex Behaviors, Animal,Sexual Behaviors, Animal
D012727 Sex Characteristics Those characteristics that distinguish one SEX from the other. The primary sex characteristics are the OVARIES and TESTES and their related hormones. Secondary sex characteristics are those which are masculine or feminine but not directly related to reproduction. Gender Characteristics,Gender Differences,Gender Dimorphism,Sex Differences,Sex Dimorphism,Sexual Dichromatism,Sexual Dimorphism,Characteristic, Gender,Characteristic, Sex,Dichromatism, Sexual,Dichromatisms, Sexual,Difference, Sex,Dimorphism, Gender,Dimorphism, Sex,Dimorphism, Sexual,Gender Characteristic,Gender Difference,Gender Dimorphisms,Sex Characteristic,Sex Difference,Sex Dimorphisms,Sexual Dichromatisms,Sexual Dimorphisms
D018452 Homosexuality, Female Sexual attraction or relationship between females. Lesbianism,Female Homosexuality

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