homosexuals

[abstemious_entity]

Did homosexuality evolve? or does it have something to do with the mental state of a person?

[biostudent84]

Where our species is overpopulated, the rules of biology do not apply as strongly to us. Our need to reproduce is reduced, as there is enough human reproduction going on already in this world. The parameter of a gender-decisive relationships is being reduced slightly.

[Chris4]

Strange, ive never thought of it like what biostudent84 wrote. And i dont think many other people have.
How does this work? People dont think "oh. theres too many people in this world, its overpopulated, i'll become a homosexual". Or is there a built in mechanism to make more people homosexual as the population becomes more and more overpopulated.

[James]

Is homosexuality a human only trait?

[Poison]

I have once read that homosexuality can also be seen in some other organisms too.

[Chris4]

Many animals display homosexuality. Theres even a book on it. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 9?v=glance
Ricky Gervais talks about this book on his Animals stand up comedy show (DVD). Thats where i heard about it. Its hilarious when he shows that the proof is drawings not photographs. Anyone can draw two homosexual animals.
So, there may be homosexual animals, but lets just say that the evidence so far is not very scientific.

[canalon]

Many animals display homosexuality. Theres even a book on it. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 9?v=glance
Ricky Gervais talks about this book on his Animals stand up comedy show (DVD). Thats where i heard about it. Its hilarious when he shows that the proof is drawings not photographs. Anyone can draw two homosexual animals.
So, there may be homosexual animals, but lets just say that the evidence so far is not very scientific.

Well if you want pictures, you can read this paper that won the 2003 IgNobel Prize in biology: http://www.nmr.nl/DSA8-243.pdf
There are some facts about homosexuality in mallards. Maybe a good start for a litterature search, for those who are really interested in the subject...

Have fun

Patrick

[Chris4]

Yeah. I knew about the mallard thing. Didnt mention it before as forgot. just printed off the pdf. its the funniest scientific paper ive ever seen. thanks

[James]

Maybe these 'homosexual' animals are just confused, how could we tell an animal is homosexual anyway?

[mith]

Um, it's having sexual intercouse with a member of the same sex?

In the case of the mallard, it's having intercourse with a dead duck. A necrophilic homosexual

[protozoan]

i saw documentary film in which scientists changed heterosexual flies - drosophylla to homosexual. It is sure not mental state. It must be genetically predicted.

[Charlene]

Does homosexuality have anything to do with the genetic makeup of a person/an animal? o.O"