While homophobes have long claimed that homosexuality isnt natural, a newly published study found over 59 different primate species that exhibit same-sex sexual behaviors (SSB). This finding suggests that SSB may predate the rise of Homo sapiens, modern-day humans. The authors say their findings indicate multiple evolutionary reasons that SSB developed among primates.The first-of-its-kind study, published yesterday in the scientific journalNature Ecology & Evolution, noted that although SSBhave been observed in over 1,500 animal species, very little is known about their evolutionary origins and how ecological habitats may compel animals to exhibit them. Related Gay animal couples have a lot to teach us about love, life, and grieving The studys authors researched 96 peer-reviewed studies documenting SSB to compile one of the most comprehensive datasets for primates to date. The study found that SSB are a persistent and integral component of primate social [practices].In fact, the prevalence of SSB across a variety of closely related primate species and over several lines of descendants indicates a deep evolutionary root or multiple independent evolutionary origins, the studys authors wrote. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Past theories have suggested that animals exhibit SSB to increase group cohesion, to signal dominance among a larger group, to practice for procreative sex, or as a result of mistaken gender identity in species where males and females look similar. Social cohesion was likely a possible reason for SSB, researchers said, especially since they found that the occurrence of SSB was more likely in primate species that live in drier environments where food is scarce and the threat of predators is high; in species that have longer lifespans and greater differences in physical size between sexes; and in species with more complex social structures and hierarchies. SSB [may] strengthen social bonds in extreme climatic environments by increasing grooming [behaviors such a hair cleaning] and proximity interactions, which both buffer the physical stress of harsh climates and help manage group tension during periods of high stress, the authors wrote. They also noted that SSB can help species face ecological conditions that may favor behavioral flexibility and social demands that require sustained social cohesion and alliance reinforcement. That is, SSB can help maintain complex social bonds in situations where flexibility can help a species survival, researchers said.The studys authors noted that individual zoological studies on animal SSB can be difficult to conduct over the long term due to environmental factors, time constraints, or limitations on research capacity. However, the authors said they were particularly interested in learning how SSB among primates might have changed over time in areas that have become drier or more barren due to climate change.Zoologists and animal behaviorists dont call animals gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer because the word connotes a human sexual orientation with strong cultural and political implications that are irrelevant to non-human species. Instead, most scientists will say that animals exhibit same-sex behaviors or homosexual behaviors. Scientists use these phrases to avoid anthropomorphizing animals and seeing them as imperfect copies of humans, biologist Marlene Zukexplained.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.