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Bonobos and Their Likeness to HumansA Study of Analogy Regarding Bonobos and HumansBonobos live in the continent of Africa, but have a specific habitat in the humid forests south of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It is evident through social analysis that Bonobos live in an egalitarian, non-violent, female dominated society. This social structure is quite different from both chimps and baboons. Because bonobos exist only in forested areas, it allows the females to forage independently, rather than depending on males for resources. The Role of Male BonobosEven though females dominate their society, male bonobos still play an important role. Adult males are compared to humans in the way they cooperate in teams to compete with other teams of males. Adult males also lead exploration for the group, as they drag sizable tree branches whist running into uncharted territory, making substantial noise. This is the male’s method of “clearing the way” for the rest of the group, ensuring safety for its members. The Role of Female BonobosAs the bonobos comprise a female dominated society, it is evident that mothers play a vital role in the group’s social stability. Males are permanent members, maintaining close bonds to their mothers for a lifetime. Females are quite different, as they begin to distance their maternal bonds at the onset of puberty. The relationships shared between females, in the bonobo society, create their distinct sexual community. The most common sexual activity for bonobos is a female stimulating another female. From an evolutionary perspective, it is argued that extended female receptivity relieves males of jealousy, as well as preventing infanticide. It is also suggested that before the social lives of bonobos were sexualized, they lived under male domination (1997). Thus, homosexuality became a way of tying males and females together in larger aggregations. Validating Bonobo SexualityThe first thing that comes to mind when comparing bonobos to humans is the existence of sexual diversity. Both bisexuality and homosexuality are evident in human society. However, unlike the bonobo, bisexuality and homosexuality exist as a minority of members in human society. Studying the bonobo does not necessarily provide an analogous social structure considering that it has female dominance. Perhaps we could consider their social structure analogous to a potential human social structure? Bonobo relationships appear very different from humans due to their social structure, but considering the emotional intelligence of these beings, we are invited to analyze their behaviors in greater depth. Bonobos and Body LanguageTo consider their voluntary oral sexual behaviors, provides reason for us to assume that a bonobo can empathize with its sexual partner. Also, it is common for bonobos to communicate through hand gestures, and prolonged eye contact. Bonobos regulate their sexual performance based on what they perceive in the other through an extended ocular gaze. All of these characteristics demonstrate an exceptionally advanced emotional capacity in the bonobo. Would it be irrational to argue that bonobos live in a socially advanced society, considering that they are egalitarian and non-violent? Humans have not yet explored the possible benefits of a female dominated society, and unfortunately it is presently too difficult to provide any evidence for its future occurrence. Despite the social structure of the bonobo appearing quite different from human society, it is still a significant analogy to human behavior.
The copyright of the article Bonobos and Their Likeness to Humans in Bipeds is owned by John-Paul Gagliano. Permission to republish Bonobos and Their Likeness to Humans in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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