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January 12, 2026<\/p>\n
2 min read<\/p>\n
Add Us On Google<\/span>Add SciAm<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n New Study Probes How Same-Sex Behaviors Evolved in Nonhuman Primates<\/p>\n New research links same-sex behaviors in nonhuman primates to the evolution of complex social structures<\/p>\n By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron<\/span><\/p>\n Tom Applegate\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Same-sex behavior is common across the animal kingdom\u2014more than 1,500 species are estimated to have been observed engaging in same-sex behavior, from spiders and nematodes to bonobos and fish. Still, scientists suspect that such behaviors are massively underreported and consequently far less understood than others exhibited by animals.<\/p>\n A new study by researchers at Imperial College London and published on Monday in Nature Ecology & Evolution could help shed some light. The research homes in on same-sex behavior in nonhuman primates and describes how it may have evolved to bolster these species\u2019 nuanced social systems.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to understand the behavior of wild, complex animals, you must take into account same-sex [behavior],\u201d says Vincent Savolainen, a professor at Imperial College London and senior author of the paper. \u201cIt\u2019s, I believe, as important as reproductive sex, looking after kids, fighting, eating, and so on.\u201d<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.<\/p>\n In other words, same-sex behaviors in these animals is part of a \u201crepertoire of behavior\u201d that helps nonhuman primates navigate their societies, Savolainen explains.<\/p>\n The research adds to the growing body of evidence that suggests that same-sex behavior in nonhuman primates builds and reinforces social connections\u2014meaning that these behaviors are likely evolutionarily beneficial, Savolainen argues. Importantly, in the new study, the authors emphasize that their results shouldn’t be applied to humans or be used to interpret LGBTQ+ experiences.<\/p>\n Savolainen and his colleagues analyzed more than 1,700 past research publications to look for data on same-sex behavior in nonhuman primates. They identified 59 species with documented evidence of mounting, ejaculation, genital stimulation or other sexual behavior among individuals of the same sex.<\/p>\n They also looked at where these species lived, considering the climate, the number of predators in the area and other environmental factors. Certain conditions\u2014harsh weather and higher likelihood of predation, for example\u2014appeared to be associated with same-sex behavior in nonhuman primates. Longer-lived animals were also more likely to engage in such behaviors, as were members of species in which males and females look very different.<\/p>\n The study takes a \u201cvery rigorous analytical approach\u201d to determining which traits may directly influence same-sex behaviors, says Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda G\u00f3mez, a professor at the department of ecology at the University of Granada, who was not involved in the research. The findings suggest that species that live in dry environments show more sexual dimorphism and that species with more sexual dimorphism tend to live in larger groups with more complex social structures, where same-sex behaviors might be most beneficial, he says.<\/p>\n Savolainen hopes the research will encourage more studies of how same-sex behaviors arise in nonhuman primates and what role they play in these animals\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a time where people would think this is only happening when you put two baboons in a zoo that can\u2019t do anything else,\u201d Savolainen says. \u201cSo, yeah, things are changing.\u201d<\/p>\n If you enjoyed this article, I\u2019d like to ask for your support. 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I hope it does that for you, too.<\/p>\n If you subscribe to Scientific American<\/span>, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.<\/p>\n In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can’t-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world’s best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.<\/p>\n There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you\u2019ll support us in that mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" January 12, 2026 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm New Study Probes How Same-Sex Behaviors Evolved in Nonhuman Primates New research links same-sex behaviors in nonhuman primates to the evolution of complex social structures By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron Tom Applegate\/Getty Images Same-sex behavior is common across the animal kingdom\u2014more<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41400,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[22070,6959,22071,10869,4015,18772,188],"class_list":{"0":"post-41399","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-science","8":"tag-behaviors","9":"tag-evolved","10":"tag-nonhuman","11":"tag-primates","12":"tag-probes","13":"tag-samesex","14":"tag-study"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=41399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}On supporting science journalism<\/h2>\n
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