What is it about?
This study investigated how frequently mammalogists observed, collect data on, and publish on same-sex sexual behaviour. We found that most respondents (77%) had observed same-sex sexual behaviour, and around half of them (48%) collected data on this, but only 19% of them had published on this. This lack of publishing was due to a variety of reasons, including a perception that these behaviours were rare, or that it was not a research priority of their lab.
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Why is it important?
Of the species identified as engaging in same-sex sexual behaviour in our survey, 38% of them have no current published reports of same-sex sexual behaviour. Reporting of same-sex sexual behaviour serves to benefit the scientific community and allows us to better understand it's variability and distribution across mammals.
Perspectives
Same-sex sexual behaviour research is an exciting field to be working in as there seem to be new discoveries and new ideas every day. I hope this research encourages other scientists to publish their brief report of same-sex sexual behaviour so we can have a better understanding of it's distribution. So far, it appears that same-sex sexual behaviour is very much widespread within mammals.
Karyn Anderson
University of Toronto
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Same-sex sexual behaviour among mammals is widely observed, yet seldomly reported: Evidence from an online expert survey, PLOS One, June 2024, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304885.
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