The oldest profession: older then we thought

Posted by Lauren Cheek on January 23, 2008 
Filed Under Class discussion, In the news

Last week’s film about sex and evolution raised questions about the similarities and differences between money, ape, and human sexuality. The issue has been in the news of late, too. According to news reports, a recent study suggests that male macaques pay for sex with grooming:

Selling sex is said to be humankind’s oldest profession but it may have deep evolutionary roots, according to a study into our primate cousins which found that male macaques pay for intercourse by using grooming as a currency.

Michael Gumert of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore made the discovery in a 20-month investigation into 50 long-tailed macaques in Kalimantan Tengah, Indonesia, New Scientist reports on Saturday.

On average, females had sex 1.5 times per hour.

But this rate jumped to 3.5 times per hour immediately after the female had been groomed by a male — and her partner of choice was likely to be the hunky monkey that did the grooming.

The report also suggests that the cost of obtaining sex varied with supply and demand. If females were abundant, males could woo a potential mate with just eight minutes of grooming. But if no other females were in the area, the male would have to spend twice as long grooming.

This example highlights one of the points of last week’s film—the importance of competition for mates in the evolutionary process. For more, see excerpts of the film on sexual selection in peacocks, polyandry in jacanas, and sex and social organization among chimps and bonobos.

Comments

4 Responses to “The oldest profession: older then we thought”

  1. Your TAs chime in : ANT 2301: Human Sexuality & Culture on January 23rd, 2008 8:39 pm

    [...] first blog entry from one of your TAs is online. Lauren Cheek writes about a new study on the exchange of grooming for sex among macaque monkeys, and she relates it to [...]

  2. Mat on July 19th, 2008 10:44 am

    Now if we can only teach monkeys to think that sex is dirty and wrong, we’ll really be getting somewhere!

  3. Bookmarks about Sexuality on August 15th, 2008 11:30 am

    [...] – bookmarked by 4 members originally found by jcbuffington on 2008-07-21 Comment on The oldest profession: older then we thought by Mat [...]

  4. Jacques Louis David on February 25th, 2009 7:23 pm

    I think masquerading the macaque monkey as some type of evolutionary sex worker is a weak attempt from the far right at minimalizing the potential impact primatological advances can have for our society. The fact that they respond to grooming by having more sex means little to indicate a favor is owed. We respond to touch and massage with increased levels of excitement. Prairie Voles release large amounts of oxytocin when touch is involved. Let’s all take another short of testosterone and see what we can come up with next.

    In short, I think you left wing liberals see sex in everything. This is what is wrong with America. Who want to buy the cow when your giving away the milk for free? That is not a gender role . . .heifer . . . .

    Just ask the Bonobos . . . they know everything (insert sarcasm . . . maybe).

    Jacques Louis David