Animal homosexuality
Subtitle: a biosocial perspective
By: Aldo Poiani ; with a chapter on primates by Alan Dixson
Contributors: Dixson, A. F.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 558
ISBN-13: 9780521196758; 9780521145145
Subjects: Homosexuality in animals
Description: "Homosexuality is an evolutionary paradox in search for a resolution, not a medical condition in search for a cure. Homosexual behavior is common among social animals, and mainly expressed within the context of a bisexual sexual orientation. Exclusive homosexuality is less common, but not unique to humans. Poiani and Dixson invite the reader to embark on a journey through the evolutionary, biological, psychological and sociological aspects of homosexuality, seeking an understanding of both the proximate and evolutionary causes of homosexual behavior and orientation in humans, other mammals and birds. The authors also provide a synthesis of what we know about homosexuality into a biosocial model that links recent advances in reproductive skew theory and various selection mechanisms to produce a comprehensive framework that will be useful for anyone teaching or planning future research in this field"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: 1. Animal homosexuality in evolutionary perspective; title: 2. The comparative study of homosexual behaviour; title: 3. Genetics of homosexuality; title: 4. Ontogenetic processes; title: 5. The endocrine and nervous systems : a network of causality for homosexual behaviour; title: 6. Immunology and homosexuality; title: 7. Sexual segregation effects; title: 8. The social, life-history and ecological theatres of animal homosexual behaviour; title: 9. Homosexual behaviour in primates; title: 10. A biosocial model for the evolution and maintenance of homosexual behaviour in birds and mammals.