The evolution and biopsychology of non-conceptive sexuality

有人说，繁殖是推动进化的引擎。然而，非受孕性活动在人类和动物中普遍存在。乍一看，这种行为的存在似乎使基本的进化理论失效，比如性选择，它预测行为的进化是为了促进繁殖。那么，为什么生物体要进行非受孕性行为呢？这个问题代表了心理学中最突出的悖论之一。 我的研究计划的长期目标是了解为什么一些物种经常从事非概念性的性行为，以及这种行为对整个交配系统的进化后果。为了实现这一目标，我进行跨物种和跨文化的研究，在两个灵长类动物物种中，同性恋行为经常表示。在过去的27年里，我一直在研究日本猕猴种群，在这些猕猴种群中，除了生殖性行为外，两性还经常进行同性恋和非概念性异性恋行为。我还在萨摩亚（自2003年以来）和墨西哥瓦哈卡的伊斯特莫地区（自2015年以来）进行了人类研究，这两种文化中，同性吸引的变性男性被确定为非二元性别：fa'afafine和muxes gunaa，分别。萨摩亚fa'afafine和Istmo Zapotec muxe gunaa只与顺性别男子进行性活动，而这些男子通常也与顺性别妇女进行性活动。 值得注意的是，我的工作证明了其他研究人员最近才正式承认的生物学相关性;即生殖性和非受孕性的发展和进化是一致的，每一个都可以影响另一个。通过阐明生殖性和非概念性之间的动态相互作用，我的研究揭示了思考人类和其他动物性发展和进化的变革方式。 关于性和性别多样性的讨论往往发生在个人政治和道德驱动的信息真空中，但却脱离了任何实际证据。我提议的NSERC研究计划提供了与学术界和公众目前正在争论的许多问题相关的心理生物学和进化数据。在这样做的过程中，我的研究有助于纠正偏见，错误或不正确的观点，并提供了一个基于证据的基础上，性和性别多样性的生物相关的理解可以位于。通过积极传播我的研究成果，通过科学场所，以及通过国家和国际媒体，我促进了关于这些主题的更明智和客观的对话。这反过来又奠定了一个基础，在此基础上可以在各级作出与性和性别多样性有关的循证决策。

It has been said that reproduction is the engine that drives evolution. Nevertheless, non-conceptive sexual activity is widespread among humans and animals. At first glance, the existence of such behaviour seems to invalidate basic evolutionary theories, like sexual selection, which predict that behaviour evolves to facilitate reproduction. Why, then, do organisms engage in non-conceptive sex? This question represents one of the most outstanding paradoxes in psychology. The long-term goal of my research program is to understand why some species routinely engage in non-conceptive sexual behaviour and what the evolutionary consequences of such behaviour are for mating systems as a whole. To achieve this goal, I conduct cross-species and cross-cultural research on two primate species in which homosexual behaviour is frequently expressed. For the past 27 years, I have studied Japanese macaque populations in which both sexes regularly engage in homosexual and non-conceptive heterosexual behaviour, in addition to reproductive sex. I have also conducted human research in Samoa (since 2003) and in the Istmo region of Oaxaca, Mexico (since 2015), both cultures in which same-sex attracted transgender males are identified as non-binary genders: fa'afafine and muxes gunaa, respectively. Samoan fa'afafine and Istmo Zapotec muxe gunaa only engage in sexual activity with cisgender men, who, in turn, commonly engage in sexual activity with cisgender women as well. Significantly, my work demonstrates what other researchers have only recently come to formally acknowledge as biologically relevant; namely, that reproductive and non-conceptive sex develop and evolve in concert, and each can influence the other. By illuminating the dynamic interplay between reproductive and non-conceptive sex, my research furnishes transformative ways of thinking about the development and evolution of sexuality in humans and other animals. All too often discussions about sexual and gender diversity occur in an information vacuum that is driven by personal politics and morality, but divorced from any actual evidence. My proposed NSERC research program provides the psychobiological and evolutionary data relevant to many of the issues that are being currently debated among academics and the public. In doing so, my research helps to correct biased, erroneous, or incorrect views and provides a basis upon which an evidence-based, biologically relevant understanding of sexual and gender diversity can be situated. By actively disseminating my research results through scientific venues, as well as through the national and international media, I facilitate more intelligent and objective conversations about these topics. This, in turn, furnishes a foundation upon which evidence-based decision making related to sex and gender diversity can occur at all levels.