Chimp noises during sex
I haven’t been blogging much recently, prefering to spend my time studying for the MCATs or working on some of the research projects I’m currently involved with. Hopefully soon I’ll be off to some hospital to shadow a doctor. But, I just had to share this story.
Sciencedaily reports on chimp behavior, saying that chimps keep quiet during copulation, in order to evade detection of other chimps. I suspect that this is a mechanism chimps use to obscure paternity, which is interesting considering that chimps also make it quite obvious when they’re in estrus.
At any rate, it doesn’t seem to be a trait we share with chimps, at least judging from some of the shadier motels I’ve had the misfortune of staying at.
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June 18th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
I don’t see how obscuring paternity is an object here. It seems to be much more about avoiding retaliation from other group members.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
why would another group member retaliate, unless that female chimp was ‘jealous’ that the male was mating with another female?
In that case, the mating female would probably not want anyone to know about the ongoing copulation, and therefore would not want to give any other chimp an idea of the father of the child (avoiding retaliation).
June 18th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
But if females are having sex with multiple males, no one is going to be able to figure out paternity anyway.
Females in chimp groups use sex to form strategic alliances. It benefits you for not everyone to know who all your allies are.
It could be elements of both, I suppose. I see a bit better where you’re coming from with the paternity angle.
June 18th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Also, I would think it wise to avoid detection from any males around with a higher status in the group, or even just greater size.