How do bonobos reduce tension (in a manner different from other primates)?
Researchers studying the sex habits of bonobos say sexual activity plays a crucial role in the social society of the primates.
Bonobo society is a bit more peaceful than that of their cousins, the chimpanzee, but, like in any group that lives closely together, conflicts do arise. When it does, bonobos use sex to diffuse the tension.
One hypothesis for this behavior is that cortisol levels are reduced when the bonobos rub their sexual organs, resulting in an increase in the “bonding hormones” oxytocin or vasopressin.
How do bonobos reduce tension (in a manner different from other primates)?