Crocuta crocuta photo by botswanadreams via Vimeo
Sex as work or play: spotted hyena versus human
The human species and the spotted hyena, both intelligent, socially complex predators, evolved together as competitors for 200,000 years across Africa and Eurasia. However, they could hardly have diverged more in the role of sex in play behaviour: in the spotted hyena, male and female adults do not play and unique genital handicaps minimise female sexual pleasure; by contrast in the human species most sex is play in which maximising female pleasure without insemination is part of the game.
Robin and the Honey Badger, 22 March 2016
Photographs:
Human sexual behaviour
