Is Fidelity Natural?

13.01.2012 | By: T. B.

We checked if fidelity is something that comes naturally among animals.

Promiscuity is common among the majority of species. (PhotoXpress)

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Fidelity is rare among animals. Interestingly, some animals are familiar with the concept of “paying” for sex.

When it suits us, humans like to make references to the animal world. At the same time, we often consider ourselves as somehow superior to animals. Here we will not discuss whether humans are comparable to animals, but will merely present some interesting findings on the sexual practices of the latter.

Some male birds buy love with food

Promiscuity is the most common phenomenon among all animal species. Animals differentiate between sexual and social monogamy. This means that they often live in some sort of community or that two partners together raise their young ones, but the younglings may be conceived by more than one partner.

Moreover, animals are familiar with the concept of paying for sexual intercourse. In most cases, males pay the females. You all know about "the birds and the bees". Birds actually seem to be quite suitable to explain human sexuality. In certain species of birds, males are known for bribing the females with food.

Apes mate for longer than an hour

If we move closer to human beings by taking a look at apes, we find similar sexual behaviour. Male macaques make advances to females and provide services to them in exchange for sex. On average, a female mates 1.5 times an hour, and she can also mate 3.5 times an hour with appropriate stimulation.

Females clean the hairs of other females, the young ones or other males in exchange for friendship and protection. Males do that in exchange for sexual intercourse.

Males behave in a very economical way, and the price they have to pay is adjusted to the current circumstances, the supply and the competition. This doesn't mean that they aren't jealous. Especially among females, fighting and injuries are something normal.