by Mira Allen.
As the sun sets on 2011, it is certain that the year will not go down as a peaceful moment in the history of humanity. The timeline of the last 12 months has been marred by natural and manmade turmoil in homes, on the streets and across international borders. Nevertheless, there have been occasional sparks of hope.
When looking towards what the next 12 months may bring us, it may be pertinent to turn to our past. Approximately 8 million years into the past, that is.
It was that many years ago that the human species separated from its closest genetic relative, the bonobo. While not as much of a media darling as the chimpanzee, bonobos are just as intriguing or even more so. Bonobos live a curiously peaceful and pleasurable way of life.
The bonobo possesses DNA that is 98 percent identical to Homo sapiens. They are physically closer in resemblance to humans than any other primate. They have long legs, a narrow torso, pink lips and long head hair, which is worn parted in the middle . They have very differentiated faces, allowing complex facial expressions and easier identification among others in the group. They use tools and multifarious vocal communication.
Leading researchers say that bonobo DNA is more similar to humans than that of our other close cousin, the chimpanzee. The primate was discovered by a German anatomist in 1929 while he was studying what had been previously thought of as an adolescent chimpanzee skull.
Essentially, bonobos are at least as closely related to us, if not more so, than chimpanzees. This makes way for several questions, and maybe a little insight why we should be looking to them as an example to how we may lead a more peaceful existence.
"[Bonobos] are the hippies of the primate order," says Dutch primatologist Frans de Waal. “Violence among the group is rarely observed. It seems they might have found the perfect answer to ‘nonviolent communication.’”
Visitors to the San Diego Zoo witness it at least twice a day. A small door opens in the rear of the enclosure and a zookeeper appears with an armload of bananas. The male bonobos, devoid of any humanlike, face-saving "modesty," simultaneously become erect. The females approach the pile of food, the swelling of genitalia apparent.
If this were a group of chimpanzees, the situation might be cause for alarm. Chimps are notoriously competitive and hostile, but the bonobos have no interest in any of that. They'd rather diffuse the situation with some good, old-fashioned sex.
"Based on an analysis of many such incidents, my study yielded the first solid evidence for sexual behavior as a mechanism to overcome aggression," says de Waal, "Not that this function is absent in other animals–or in humans, for that matter–but the art of sexual reconciliation may well have reached its evolutionary peak in the bonobo. For these animals, sexual behavior is indistinguishable from social behavior."
The practice of sexual diffusion lasts an average a mere 13 seconds per encounter, but is practiced in all manner of combinations: heterosexual, bisexual and gay. The bonobo abstains from copulation among close family members but other than that, everything seems fair game.
The sex these primates are having serves to diffuse all manner of potential violence, and is practiced to create bonds among established groups. Bonobos have never been observed killing each other, and their frequency of violence is markedly lower than that of chimps.
Bonobos in captivity and in the wild have been observed living in female dominated, egalitarian society. The females in each group create very strong bonds amongst themselves through sex and by teaming up to dominate the males. Males do not typically form bonds with other males, although they frequently engage in what is known as “penis fencing.”
To the casual (human) male observer, this information may come as a bit of a threat. Bonobo males, however, don’t seem to mind at all. The females of their species are markedly more likely to approach them for sex. There is no inherent competition necessary for the male to be constantly sexually satisfied, so he does not have to engage in the actions so indicative of the chimp: violent outbursts and domination.
So what might we learn from this peace loving, cohesive band of primates? It’s been said that it’s hard to start war while having an orgasm. While sex like bonobos may be labeled as depraved when practiced amongst humans, it is safe to say that sexual fulfillment leads to satisfaction in other areas of life.
Perhaps it is the case that many of our sexual rules are really just unnecessary oppression. Perhaps a revisit, revamping or simply tossing out many of these rules is in order. Perhaps empowering the populace to love their sexuality could be beneficial to humankind as we know it.
It’s just a thought.
Female dominated society seems to be a bit of a misnomer here. Upon more careful research, it’s apparent that bonobos are more equal amongst themselves. The males simply do not feel the need to dominate anything because they are already supplied with all the unencumbered, free sex they could want. Who has time to throw a huge temper tantrum when you’re getting it on?
The substitute of sex for violence seems to be working quite well for these primates. Bonobos are small in stature and often need to band together for protection. Sex holds the group together.
There are currently an estimated 10,000 living today, all located in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bonobo violence is rare and has, to date, only been observed while the animal was being kept in captivity and separated from the mother very early in life. The lack of violence can be attributed to the deep bonding that takes place as a result of the widespread quenching of sexual appetites.
Is this an argument in favor of a sexually empowered, female dominated society? You better believe it. As we step into 2012, one thing is certain. Humanity’s current way of life is not working on many levels. What remains to be seen is if there is a solution. Our close relatives in the sun drenched jungles of Congo may have a few insights to offer us, and at this point it may be pertinent to listen.