Aaron the Tall
Member
You can read the snippet article here: Gay burying beetles show adaptive purpose of homosexuality
Concerning the scientific article here: Acceptance threshold theory can explain occurrence of homosexual behaviour
In summary, beetles were subjected to various social situations to see the effects on mating behavior. When males were placed in settings with very few female suitors, males attempted to copulate with other males. When males were placed in situations with numerous female suitors, they did not engage in same-sex attempts at all.
The conclusion is that the same-sex behavior was a mating strategy. With a lack of female mates, the males were less choosy as they attempted to mate with any potential suitor in hopes that one might be a female.
This is all well and good, but it of course becomes a spring board for propagating the "adaptive purpose of homosexuality" in general - and it becomes a "proof" that homosexuality is "natural."
Although the researchers didn't make this claim in the scientific paper, they were quoted in the popular article as saying
The problem is that the term "homosexuality", and the phrase used in the article "same-sex sexual behavior" are loaded with innuendo that don't apply to the study. The beetles were not "homosexual" as we would apply the term to humans. This is obvious by the fact that the purpose in attempting to mate with other males was to find a female! That is quite the opposite of human homosexuality.
Despite this fact, the popular article still calls the beetle's "gay" - another term loaded with inapplicable innuendo. Even though the article admits that the application of these findings to humans is limited because humans can visually recognize the opposite sex, the headline is what will stand out: Being Gay has an Adaptive Purpose.
Concerning the scientific article here: Acceptance threshold theory can explain occurrence of homosexual behaviour
In summary, beetles were subjected to various social situations to see the effects on mating behavior. When males were placed in settings with very few female suitors, males attempted to copulate with other males. When males were placed in situations with numerous female suitors, they did not engage in same-sex attempts at all.
The conclusion is that the same-sex behavior was a mating strategy. With a lack of female mates, the males were less choosy as they attempted to mate with any potential suitor in hopes that one might be a female.
This is all well and good, but it of course becomes a spring board for propagating the "adaptive purpose of homosexuality" in general - and it becomes a "proof" that homosexuality is "natural."
Although the researchers didn't make this claim in the scientific paper, they were quoted in the popular article as saying
"It still shows it's natural and happens in nature all the time and even can be a strategy to circumvent problems."
The problem is that the term "homosexuality", and the phrase used in the article "same-sex sexual behavior" are loaded with innuendo that don't apply to the study. The beetles were not "homosexual" as we would apply the term to humans. This is obvious by the fact that the purpose in attempting to mate with other males was to find a female! That is quite the opposite of human homosexuality.
Despite this fact, the popular article still calls the beetle's "gay" - another term loaded with inapplicable innuendo. Even though the article admits that the application of these findings to humans is limited because humans can visually recognize the opposite sex, the headline is what will stand out: Being Gay has an Adaptive Purpose.