Looks like we’re not alone in the sexual accoutrement department. We now know that chimpanzees also use “tools” to enhance their sex lives. I anthropocentrically put “tools” in scare quotes because, let’s be honest, they’ve got a long way to go before they achieve an ape-vibrator. Even so, the evidence is intriguing. Says primatologist Dr. William McGrew:
“The male will pluck a leaf, or a set of leaves, and sit so the female can see him. He spreads his legs so the female sees the erection, and he tears the leaf bit by bit down the midvein of the leaf, dropping the pieces as he detaches them. Sometimes he’ll do half a dozen leaves until she notices.â€
And then?
“Presumably she sees the erection and puts two and two together, and if she’s interested, she’ll typically approach and present her back side, and then they’ll mate.â€
A leaf. Pssh. Humans would never be so stupid as to fall for something as rudimentary as another person showing off one of their worldly goods.
via NY Times
