The evolution and biopsychology of non-conceptive sexuality

有人说，繁殖是推动进化的引擎。然而，非受孕的性行为在人类和动物中很普遍。乍一看，这种行为的存在似乎使基本的进化论失效，比如性选择，后者预测行为的进化是为了促进生殖。那么，为什么生物要进行非受孕的性行为呢？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进行非受孕的性行为，以及这种行为对整个交配系统的进化后果是什么。为了实现这一目标，我对两个经常表达同性恋行为的灵长类物种进行了跨物种和跨文化的研究。在过去的27年里，我研究了日本猕猴种群，在这些种群中，除了生殖性行为外，两性都经常从事同性恋和非受孕的异性行为。我还在萨摩亚(自2003年以来)和墨西哥瓦哈卡伊斯特莫地区(自2015年以来)进行了人体研究，在这两种文化中，同性吸引变性人男性的文化都被确定为非二元性别：分别是FA‘afine和Mux Gunaa。萨摩亚人fa‘afafafine和Istmo Zapotec muxe Gunaa只与顺性男子发生性关系，而顺性男子又通常与顺性妇女发生性关系。 值得注意的是，我的工作证明了其他研究人员直到最近才正式承认的生物学上的相关性；即生殖性和非受孕性是协调发展和进化的，彼此都可以影响对方。通过阐明生殖性和非受孕性之间的动态相互作用，我的研究提供了关于人类和其他动物性行为发展和进化的变革性思维方式。 关于性别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，但与任何实际证据无关。我建议的NSERC研究计划提供了与目前学术界和公众正在辩论的许多问题相关的心理生物学和进化论数据。在这样做的过程中，我的研究有助于纠正有偏见的、错误的或不正确的观点，并提供了一个基于证据的、与生物相关的对性和性别多样性的理解的基础。通过积极地通过科学场所以及国家和国际媒体传播我的研究成果，我促进了关于这些主题的更明智和客观的对话。这反过来又提供了一个基础，在此基础上可以在各级进行与性别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.