title: A structural comparison of female-male and female-female mounting in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata).
abstract: In certain populations, female Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) mount both males and females. Vasey (2007) proposed that female-female sexual mounting in Japanese macaques may be a neutral evolutionary by-product of a purported adaptation, namely, female-male mounting. In this study, we aim to further examine the proposed link between female-male and female-female mounting in Japanese macaques by comparing the structural characteristics that define both forms of mounting. We do so using Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation (EWMN), a globographic reference system that can be used to describe the position of body segments. No significant differences were observed in the female mounters' positioning of eight different body segments (i.e., lower torso, mid-torso, upper torso, upper arm, lower arm, upper leg, lower leg, and foot) during female-male and female-female mounting. This finding lends support to the conclusion that female-female and female-male mounting are structurally, and thus, evolutionarily, related.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Canada.
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ottenheimer Carrier
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Canada.
authors.forename: Jean-Baptiste
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Leca
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pellis
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Canada. Electronic address: paul.vasey@uleth.ca.
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Vasey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003307:Copulation / Q000502:physiology; D003380:Courtship; D005260:Female; D007697:Kinesics; D008251:Macaca / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Bisexuality; Eshkol–Wachman Movement Notation; Female–female mounting; Female–male mounting; Japanese macaque; Mount structure