Research suggests that macaques use stones as sex toys

Indonesian monkeys They masturbate using real stones, This supports what is known as the hypothesis sex toy, According to A new study.

Researchers who studied Broad-tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) They found it Monkeys They repeatedly hit and rubbed their genitals with stones to give themselves pleasure. According to a published study New Scientist. This discovery Provides further evidence for the sex doll hypothesis, A previous study by the same researchers proposed this activity as a form of instrumental-assisted masturbation.

The team found that Men and women of different ages used stones to play with them. But there were some differences between the groups:Stones were more in demand than women was used, Young men were mostly involved in this activity.

Researchers who observed monkeys They don’t have to wait long to notice this behavior. “You see rubbing and rubbing these genital stones Very usually.” I said Direct science Principal Teacher, Camilla Cheney, He holds a Ph.D University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. “Of course, they don’t do it consistently, but If you stop watching them and they start playing with stones, they will do it.

Some populations of macaques Part of their behavioral skills is to regularly manipulate stones, Obviously like it A game format. They carry the stones from one place to another, rubbing them on the surface and hitting them. This handling of stones is probably cultural Only found in certain populations According to Notes.

“Self-Directed Masturbation Through Tools” Described in New Study may have derived from this wider use of stones. however, It has only been documented in a population of macaques in Bali (Indonesia).

“When we talk about the use of tools in animals, we usually We think of cases where survival depends on it”, said Notes. For example, Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) They use stones to crack the nuts and eat them. “More and more studies are saying that Using things as tools doesn’t have to be a matter of survival. This is a clear example.”

The new research was developed in a study led by Cheney and published in the journal Physiology & Behavior In 2020. study first proposed the sex-toy hypothesis in male macaques, when New research looked at men and women and their potential motivation.

Young men They spent more time active than mature males. Mature males are, in fact, less likely to engage in stone masturbation because they have access to mature females. however, There were many differences between individual macaques of both sexes. “Within these groups, there are monkeys that do more than others,” he noted. Notes.

Monkeys are macaques that live in the city Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, In the city Ubud, and its surroundings. They roam freely and are fed by people. The researchers suggested that By feeding, monkeys can relieve foraging pressure. Stone leads them to engage more in behaviors. In other words,They have more free time than other monkeys and choose to spend it with stones.

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