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Gay Animals Key to Species' Survival: Study
'Same-sex behavior' seen all over animal kingdom
By Matt Cantor
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Posted Jun 17, 09 8:50 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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Homosexual behavior is almost everywhere among animals—penguins, dolphins, even fruit flies. And same-sex bonds may be a key adaptation that helps species survive, the Daily Telegraph reports. One-third of a Hawaiian albatross population is raised by two moms because there are so few males, researchers observed. That adaptation has helped a once-limited population to thrive, a new study finds.
“Same-sex behaviors—courtship, mounting, or parenting—are traits that may have been shaped by natural selection, a basic mechanism of evolution that occurs over successive generations,” said a study co-author. He added, “Our review of studies also suggests that these same-sex behaviors might act as selective forces in and of themselves."