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Evolution

Same-sex sexual behaviour in nonhuman primates

Nature Reviews Biodiversity volume 2, page 74 (2026)Cite this article

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Same-sex sexual behaviour occurs across the animal kingdom, and is observable in various invertebrate and vertebrate clades. Nonhuman primates are known to exhibit same-sex sexual behaviour more frequently than other mammalian groups. The drivers and origins of this behaviour are poorly understood, and multiple contrasting hypotheses have been posited. Writing in Nature Ecology & Evolution, Coxshall and colleagues identify key social and ecological drivers of same-sex sexual behaviour in nonhuman primates.

The drivers of this behaviour are therefore complex; it is determined by a suite of characteristics that operate collectively. Considering their results, the authors suggest that same-sex sexual behaviour is context dependent, and perhaps driven by stress from environmental or social factors that results in strong relationships between individuals. This study highlights the importance of a broad phylogenetic scope alongside granular trait data for biotic and abiotic factors when exploring the evolution of animal sexual behaviour.

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  1. Nature Reviews Biodiversity https://www.nature.com/nrbd/

    Luke R. Grinham

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  1. Luke R. Grinham
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Correspondence to Luke R. Grinham.

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Grinham, L.R. Same-sex sexual behaviour in nonhuman primates. Nat. Rev. Biodivers. 2, 74 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-026-00137-1

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