Overview

• Researchers compared sexual behaviors in bonobos and chimpanzees during tense social situations, such as post-conflict periods and pre-feeding times.
• The study observed 53 bonobos and 75 chimpanzees over seven months in African sanctuaries, collecting over 1,400 hours of data.
• Both species used sexual behaviors like genital rubbing and touching to reduce social tensions, with bonobos showing higher rates of such behaviors post-conflict.
• Non-kin pairs and older individuals were more likely to initiate these behaviors, suggesting they may be learned rather than innate traits.
• Findings indicate that using sex for social bonding and tension management is an inherited trait from a shared ancestor of humans, bonobos, and chimpanzees.