Penguins flirt with homosexuality

Dan82 · Oct 20, 2010

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9093000/9093531.stm

King penguins do not form long-term homosexual pairs despite same-sex "flirting", one of the first evidence-based studies has revealed.

Researchers found that over a quarter of the birds in one colony displayed in same-sex pairs, yet only two pairs bonded by learning each other's calls and both were later seen caring for eggs in heterosexual pairs.

The scientists suggest that these same sex displays could be caused by an excess of males or high levels of testosterone.

Researchers from the Centre for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology in Montpellier, France studied king penguins on the Antarctic island of Kerguelen to better understand their mating behaviour.

During the mating season king penguins displayed with potential partners: closing their eyes, stretching their heads skyward and moving them in a half-circle to "take peeks" at one another...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9093000/9093531.stm
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Penguins flirt with homosexuality

Dan82 Full Member

Dan82
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