Dancing with Myself: Masturbatory Behavior among Nonhuman Primates

Today’s blog post is going to cover some provocative subject matter, specifically addressing masturbatory behavior among nonhuman primates.  Masturbation is defined as autosexual behavior wherein an individual stimulates their genitalia with or without the aid of a tool (or, in colloquial terms, what is more commonly referred to as a “sex toy”).  Various primate species (from human to nonhuman) have been observed masturbating, and these acts occur among both captive and wild nonhuman primate species.  Unfortunately, not much is known about these behaviors, which is most likely due to the taboo nature of the subject.  Today’s blog post is going to address some specific examples of observed masturbatory behavior among wild nonhuman primate species, as well as address some of the explanations for this behavior.

 

Masturbatory behaviors have been observed among captive and wild nonhuman primate species for decades.  These behaviors among captive nonhuman primate species have not received the same level of attention because they were believed to be artificial behaviors induced by captivity (much to the ire of lay individuals who just so happen to observe these activities).  The presence of these behaviors among wild nonhuman primate species has, however, intrigued researchers.  Various nonhuman primate species have participated in masturbatory behaviors, including apes and Old and New World monkey species.  It is important to note, however, that these behaviors are most common among apes and Old World monkey species, as well as among species that exist in multimale/multifemale groupings.  Both male and female nonhuman primates participate in masturbation, but it occurs far more frequently among males.

 

Masturbatory behaviors among wild nonhuman primate species most often occur without the use of a tool (aka, “sex toy”), meaning the primate uses their hands, feet, or other body parts to stimulate their genitalia.  These behaviors occur when the primate is either alone or surrounded by others, be it males or females.  It was hypothesized that males who masturbated in front of females did so to encourage sexual intercourse, but this very rarely occurs, suggesting that it is not an efficient means of encouraging sex between the masturbating male and the observant female.  There are no explanations for why a male will masturbate in front of other males as no sexual intercourse occurs afterwards.  The adjacent males typically pay no attention to the masturbating males.  There are very few reports on masturbatory trends among females, so no further comments can be provided. 

 

At the time of composition of this post there was only one published report of a nonhuman primate using a tool when masturbating.  The researchers reported that an adolescent male chimpanzee used a discarded bottle to aid in masturbation.  The reason for the use of the tool is unclear, although it was noted that the chimpanzees of this troupe have very little fear of humans since they regularly indirectly interact with them.  This could be why the chimpanzee’s behavior evolved to use the tool. 

 

As nonhuman primates have been observed masturbating both with and without ejaculating there are several hypotheses for why they participate in this behavior.  Because masturbation occurs among lower ranking males who have less access to receptive and reproductive females it is believed that males may masturbate to remove old sperm, thereby increasing their chances of conceiving offspring when they are able to have sexual intercourse with a female.  Masturbation could also be a means of relieving sexual tension or stress, particularly among lower ranking males who are unable to participate in frequent or regular sexual activities.  For females, acts of masturbation may occur for very different reasons, including reducing the likelihood of acquiring a sexually transmitted disease or increasing the release of pheromones to alert males that she is sexually available. 

 

Ultimately, it is unclear why masturbation occurs among nonhuman primates.  It is clearly identified as a pattern of behavior among various species, suggesting that there is probably a biological and evolutionary need for the behavior, despite its negative effects on population growth.  This refers to the fact that loss of sperm through ejaculation during masturbation means that the male has less sperm to provide during sexual intercourse, thereby reducing the likelihood of conception during sexual intercourse.  This idea, however, has not been widely tested and may not be a legitimate concern.  As additional studies continue on these behavior patterns a clearer understanding of these behaviors may be realized.

 

References

 

Gamalo, L. E. D., Cabrera, S. M. E., delos Reyes, N. C. L., de Cadiz, A. E., & Chavez Jr, J. B. (2022). Masturbation in a Free-ranging Male Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis (Raffles, 1821) on Mindanao Island, Philippines. Philippine Journal of Science, 151(6A), 2271-2274.

 

Hasan, S., Nath, S., Ahmed, M. T., Tasnim, M., Biswas, S., Hossain, M. S., & Ahmed, T. (2021). Masturbation in male capped langurs (Trachypithecus pileatus) at Lawachara National Park, Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Zoology, 49(3), 441-445.

 

McLennan, M. R., & van Dijk, K. (2021). Use of a novel human object as a masturbatory tool by a wild male chimpanzee at Bulindi, Uganda. Pan Africa News, 28(1), 8-11.

 

Shalauddin, M., Islam, M. J., & Ahmed, T. (2021). Masturbation in a male Phayre's langur, Trachypithecus phayrei. Primate Biology, 8(2), 43-45.

 

Thomsen, R., & Soltis, J. (2004). Male masturbation in free-ranging Japanese macaques. International Journal of Primatology, 25(5), 1033-1041.

 

Koliada: Blessings and Good Tidings for the New Year

As previously mentioned there are many holidays celebrated at this time of the year, making for a convincing argument for why people say “Happy Holidays” at this time of year.  Last week’s blog post was dedicated to discussing the Latinx holiday of Noche Buena, and today’s blog post will introduce you to yet another holiday celebrated in December: Koliada, a Polish holiday that has rich pagan roots but has been modified to meet the needs of Catholicism that is widely practiced among modern Poles.

 

Figure 1: Carolers who participated in the Kolędowanie in the 1930s

 

Koliada has its roots in pagan traditions that were practiced not only in Poland but throughout Europe.  Traditionally, it was a holiday celebrated in the early Springtime.  Its purpose was to usher in new warmer weather associated with the changing seasons, as well as to bring about new life and chase away death and the dead.  Unlike what many (North, Central, and South) American cultures believe (wherein the spirits are livelier in the Autumn) Poles believed that the veil between the living and the dead was thinnest in the winter time.  This makes sense when you consider that the winter is a time when plants and animals go dormant and food becomes scarcer, leading to an increase in death among all living populations.  As such, Poles would celebrate the warming of the seasons and the abandonment of death for new life through the celebration of Koliada.

 

Koliada is observed through various rituals.  The most prominent was that of the Kolędowanie, the caroling tradition.  This involved a group of men who would don various homemade costumes.  They would dress as various farm animals, spirits, demons, and even the Grim Reaper, each of which represented a different aspect of the holiday (Figure 1).  Farm animals represented fertility and new life, whereas spirits, demons, and the Grim Reaper were meant to appease the spirits of the dead and pay respect to death.  The carolers would go from house to house reciting poetry and singing various carols.  Their poems and songs were meant to bring blessings of a fertile crop and bountiful harvests to the inhabitants of the household, who would pay the carolers in food, drink, or money (if that was available).   

Figure 2: 1926 image of a caroler dressed as Turoń

 

The carolers would also be accompanied by various other important symbols.  One or several carolers would be responsible for carrying a large, colorful paper sun or series of suns.  These originally represented the sun and the warmth of the springtime, and the sun was carried alongside the carolers to usher in the warmer weather.  One caroler was also bestowed the honor of dressing as Turoń, a half goat, half bull creature (Figure 2).  The Turoń is believed to represent the Aurochs, ancestral cattle species, that were imported from Africa and the Middle East when agriculture was first adopted across Europe.  Aurochs were incredibly large and formidable beasts of burden who were domesticated to help plow fields, which they did efficiently, but they later became extinct as smaller, more docile species of cattle developed.  The Turoń was included in the festivities as it represents fertility.  As part of the caroling ritual the Turoń would “drop dead” at some point of the procession, requiring revival by women and children who would provide it food and drink.  This, too, encouraged the fertility of spring, and women who were interested in becoming pregnant may have been invested in paying homage to Turoń to receive his blessing and increase their chances of conceiving a child sooner rather than later.

 

As Catholicism spread across Europe and throughout Poland the purpose of Koliada changed.  It was no longer celebrated in the Springtime but alongside the Christmas holiday.  The caroling continued but their purpose was the bring good tidings for the new year.  The sun was rebranded a star, and it represented the Star of Bethlehem, a symbol of the birth of Christ.  As Polish cultural values continued to change the make up of the carolers changed, and today both men and women are permitted to carol.  In urban areas Koliada is no longer celebrated to the same degree in the past, being relegated to Christmas pageants in schools, but it continues to some degree in rural areas as part of the community celebrations.

 

Works Cited

Bajić, Pavle. "Koleda - Slavic Winter Solstice Festival." 23 December 2020. Czech Center Museum Houston. Electronic. 17 January 2022.

Middleton, Ciara. From Koliada to Kwanzaa: Let's celebrate the holidays! n.d. Electronic. 17 December 2022.

Postcard Poland. Kolęda: An (Old) New Year Tradition in Poland. n.d. Electronic. 17 December 2022.

Tryfanenkava, Maryna A. "The Current Status of Belarusian Calendar-Ritual Tradition ." Belarusian Folklore (2001): 1-10. Print.