Ananova reports: "A German zoo has imported four female penguins from Sweden in an effort to tempt its gay penguins to go straight." The experiment, however, is not expected to work because "earlier experiments revealed great difficulties in separating homosexual couples." So, just in case, the zoo is also importing two new male penguins, "so that the ladies don't miss out altogether." Read about it here.
UPDATE:
Thinking about this.... Is it appropriate to call these penguins "gay?" Wouldn't that be attributing to them human characteristics? What seems to be happening here is that penguins have an instinctive need to breed which involves forming stable pair bonds with a member of the opposite sex. In the absence of any female penguins, they simply imprinted on the closest approximation, another male penguin and once formed, the pair bond proved to be durable, even when a female penguin was later made available. This is reminiscent of Konrad Lorentz's experiments in which goslings imprinted on a balloon and followed it as though it was their mother.
This imprinting mechanism is something quite different from the genetic predisposition to form sexual links to members of the same sex that is the currently popular explanation of human homosexuality. The appellation "gay" is therefore inappropriate.
Historians run across this problem of applying inappropriate or anachronistic terminology and concepts all the time.
2 comments:
Have you read "Biological Exuberance"? It is quite fun on this point exactly - on the evidence it seems that they will not succeed in breaking them up!
bilious young fogey
Haven't read it, but will certainly place it on my "shelf of reproach." Love the title. Checked out your site -- nice blog, keep it up.
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