Homosexual Mounting Behavior in Non-human Primates

Homosexual mounting behavior has been reported in 30 non-human primate species both in captivity and in the wild, but it was usually considered to result from stressful and abnormal conditions or from misapplication of the term “homosexual to sex-derived ritualized patterns. Its social functions were summarized as follows: 1) Play, occurs more common in young, often in play, than in adults; 2) Aggression, often correlated with dominance among males, and sexual conditions in females; 3) Sexual excitement; 4) Physical contact; 5) Sexual skill training. Five reasons were listed in the article, but there is some overlap between the categories.