Abstract
In primates, many species exhibit same-sex sexual behaviors (SSB), defined as “genital contact or genital manipulation between same-sex individuals.” Several sociosexual functions have been proposed, including proceptivity enhancement, receptivity reduction, dominance assertion, practice for heterosexual copulation, tension regulation, reconciliation, and alliance formation. Capuchin monkeys are known for their rich and flexible sexual behavioral repertoire and elaborated courtships. At present, the few reports of SSB in capuchin monkeys (genera Sapajus and Cebus) focused on mounting. Here, we describe the case observed in a population of wild yellow-breasted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus xanthosternos) in which two young males, aged 5–6 years and 19 months, performed a 15-min uninterrupted sequence of courtship behaviors and mounting. Comparing with a previously established ethogram of 20 behaviors typical for heterosexual behavior of tufted capuchins, we show that these males performed 16 of them. Thus, SSBs are already present in the repertoire of young individuals and the practice may serve to create or strengthen bonds. Although same-sex mounting and genital inspection are common in capuchins’ play and other social interactions, the almost entire array of courtship behaviors has never been observed in youngsters. Additionally, this example supports the notion that primate (homo)sexual behavior is not limited to genitalia and copulation, since the observed courtship included diverse behaviors different from genital contact. Thus, we propose a broader definition of sexual behavior.
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Acknowledgements
We are very grateful to Robson Santos de Oliveira (R.S.O.), “Binho” our loyal field assistant. We thank the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) for permission to conduct research in Una Biological Reserve, especially Paulo Cruz and his team. We also thank the Editor, Kenneth J. Zucker, and the three anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions on an earlier draft of this article.
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This study was financed in part by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) postdoctoral Grant #2021/08153-7 to I.D. and #2014/13237‐1 Grant to P.I., the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) doctoral Grant to M.F‐B. (146183/2014‐2), and by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) - Finance Code 001, doctoral Grant to I.D. (CAPES‐PROEX).
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Conceptualization: ID; methodology: ID and MF-B; formal analysis and investigation: ID and MF-B; writing—original draft preparation: ID; writing—review and editing: ID, EV, PI, JVV; supervision: JVV.
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Delval, I., Fernández-Bolaños, M., Visalberghi, E. et al. Homosexual Courtship in Young Wild Capuchin Monkeys: A Case Study. Arch Sex Behav 52, 2303–2315 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02632-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02632-4