[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlwONwmjK68?wmode=transparent] Bonobos, our closest genetic relatives have an incredible relationship with sex. They have sex constantly, in male-male pairings, female-female pairing and even intergenerational pairings. They use sex as a tool of social cohesion and to ease social tension and for this reason are often referred to as the "make love, not war" species. Bonobos live in a matriarchal society with the most common sexual behavior occurring between two females. This act is called G-G Rubbing or genito-to-genito rubbing, which is a fast paced lateral movement of their genitalia against one another. Female bonobos have clitorises that are over 2.5 inches long, and are able to penetrate one another. As shown in this video, bonobos have an extremely developed use of language. They even have a form of sign language that can be used during sex to indicate how they would like their partner to position themselves, with a simple hand gesture indicating to turn around or to bend over. In addition to many primate species, bonobos have been observed masturbating, creating sex toys and even exhibiting a form of exchange of food for sex. In this amazing synthesis of journalistic documentation above, Anderson Cooper is convinced to wear a bunny outfit, similar to a furvert costume, to appease the wishes of the bonobo, Panbanisha. While this video footage has been featured in several media outlets, the commentary on the New York Magazine website focused on the extreme size of the supposed testicles of Panbanisha, a female. While several female species only display swollen genitalia during ovulation, female bonobos are in a constant state of genital display. It would be my guess that the increase in her genital size would be due to a relationship with the place she is in her menstrual cycle...unfortunately mimicking our human idea of testicles. While this video sadly does not go into the details of the incredible sexuality of bonobos, it does speak to their growing extinction. Bonobos can only be found in nature in the war torn Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition to the impacts of war, this area is also rich in selenium, a chemical element used in many of our electronics. Selenium miners in this area, given no food rations are handed a machete and told to find sustenance in the forest, with bonobos becoming the bushmeat of choice in this dynamic. To learn more about bonobos and the Great Ape Trust: http://www.greatapetrust.org/index.php To see some funny comments about Panbanisha's testicles: http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/11/here_is_that_video_of_anderson.html?mid=...
Photos Courtesy of the artist Rune Olsen, featured in the exhibition The Sex Lives of Animals at the Museum of Sex. To learn more about Rune's work, please visit www.runeolsen.net