In an essay by Marlene Zuk, she discusses the "real" meaning of sex between penguins and other animals. Most people believe that it is solely for procreation. It is interesting to note that penguins as a whole are a monogamous species in that two parents must raise a chick, whereas with peacocks, a single mother can raise her offspring by herself. However, for Emperor Penguins especially, environmental problems increase the chance of being forced to find another mate the following year.
Zuk talks about the two homosexual penguins Roy and Silo, two chinstrap penguins in Central Park Zoo. They were only interested in building nests, rather than paying attention to the females. This brought up many questions regarding how animals interact in terms of sex. The question being asked was not necessarily "whether homosexuality is natural...but in the insight it offers into what sex means. " For example, bonobos, relatives of the chimpanzees, use sex to diminish tense apprehensive situations, occurring between members of the same sex, adults and juveniles, and when it is actually unlikely that conception will happen.
It was really interesting reading this article, because although I was aware of the bonobos' sexual trends from my physical anthropology class, I never thought about it in terms of other animals. It is truly fascinating to learn about the different behaviors of penguins and other animals, especially when it is not the "norm".
Zuk, Marlene. (2006). Family Values in Black and White. Nature, 439 (7079). Retrieved on March 20, 2008, from EBSCOhost.
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