Trivia Junction

A Compendium of trivia I find interesting
...for the curious

Monkey see...Monkey do her!

No monkeying around

Chimpanzees may share 96 percent (or more, depending on the study) of the same genes as humans, but in one respect, they are distinctly different from people. Researchers studying chimpanzee mating preferences say that although male chimps display preferences for individual females, they tend to choose older, not younger, females as mates.

It's not as romantic as it may sound, however.

The reason for the difference, suggest scientists at Boston and Harvard universities, is probably evolutionary and strictly biological. Chimps live in a relatively promiscuous mating system, where partners change frequently and age has less bearing upon reproductive ability. (Female chimpanzees don't experience menopause.) That makes an older partner just as appealing, if not more so, than a younger one.

In contrast, humans form long-term mating bonds, which in evolutionary terms makes younger females more valuable as mates because they represent a greater reproductive potential.

Prior | Tell us what you think | Next

Add to Your Social Bookmarks: Del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Simpy Spurl Y! MyWeb - StumbleUpon