Science Pub - What’s Love Got To Do With It: Sex for Social Bonding in Bonobos February 13, 2008

What’s Love Got To Do With It: Sex for Social Bonding in Bonobos
with Frances White, Ph.D.
Wednesday, February 13 (Note: one day earlier than usual)
7 p.m. – 8:30 or 9 p.m.
Luna, 30 E. Broadway, Eugene www.lunajazz.com
(Presentation begins at 7, but come early if you want to order food and drinks and get a seat!)

Bonobos are the least studied of the great apes, and unlike their evolutionary cousins – gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and humans – bonobos tend to be nonviolent and peaceful. Bonobos are also different because females hold the power; they maintain priority over food, they create alliances with other females to keep peace in their groups, and they avoid conflict. One of the most interesting features of bonobo life is the major role that sex plays in their social groups. Sex is not just for reproduction, rather, it is used for greeting, bonding, play, and for conflict resolution, and both females and males participate in all combinations. Is it a coincidence that bonobos are often capable of exhibiting empathy, sensitivity, and altruism? What does bonobo behavior tell us about human interaction?

Dr. Frances White http://www.uoregon.edu/~fwhite/ is a primatologist interested in the evolution of non-human and human primate social behaviors and has been studying bonobos since 1983. She is an associate professor in the anthropology department at the University of Oregon, and is director of the Institute of Cognitive and Decision Sciences.

The Science Pub is open to anyone and everyone; no RSVP is necessary. Tell your friends. We hope to see you there!

The Science Pub is typically held every second Thursday at Luna in downtown Eugene and is co-sponsored by OMSI http://www.omsi.edu; the University of Oregon’s College of Arts and Sciences http://cas.uoregon.edu; and The Science Factory http://www.sciencefactory.org.

Questions? E-mail sciencepub@omsi.edu or call 503.797.4517. Visit http://www.omsi.edu/sciencepub for a description of upcoming Science Pubs.

Official Website: http://www.omsi.edu/sciencepub