Comments on: Love is in the air….

By: Prerak Patel

Prerak Patel — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 07:22:19 +0000

I do not believe that if, over time, gorillas become monogamous, it would not adversely affect the species. Parents would take greater care of their children meaning that they would survive longer. This offsets the population loss caused by keeping only a single mate. If a genetic disease entered the gene pool, monogamous gorillas would spread the disease to the extent that a polygamous gorilla would.

By: Prashi

Prashi — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:58:17 +0000

Gorrilas have been tamed to talk to us using sign language, they are very smart animals, maybe watching each other during sex gave them a different bonding and they felt better with just each other.

By: Kamene Dornubari-Ogidi

Kamene Dornubari-Ogidi — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:20:17 +0000

I do think that if there is a shift from polygamy to monogamy in a vast population of gorilla populations, then the species, over time, might become endangered. Gorillas don’t have many offspring at a time, or that often. So polygamy aids in their population growth. However, dedication to one partner would completely change that.

And in part I agree with Hannah Dunn’s comment, that the gorillas might be evolving. I wouldn’t necessarily say they are begining to aquire human characteristics, because they already have, but I would say they’re changing. And maybe…there might be…something in the genes of these gorillas that may be passed on to offspring. In which case the “transformation” from polygamy to monogamy would begin. And truth be told…even if there weren’t some deviation in their genes that caused this behavior, if the two gorillas that were seen mating stay togeter AFTER the child’s birth…then the child will most likely mimic their mating methods.

By: Kamene Dornubari-Ogidi

Kamene Dornubari-Ogidi — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:13:55 +0000

I don’t completely agree with the statement that face-to-face mating might be heralding a new era of monogamous gorilla populations.

I’m not very knowledgeable about animals and the thinking that goes on in the brain. However, I don’t think that, like humans, they experience more intimacy from face-to-face mating that would cause them to stick with one gorilla. And if they did…it would be very…strange to say the least. Male gorillas are very oppressive towards their female counterparts and aggressive towards offspring. With this in consideration, it is highly unlikely that monogamy stemming from companionship between two gorillas would occur.

By: Kamene Dornubari-Ogidi

Kamene Dornubari-Ogidi — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:08:42 +0000

I completely agree. I know there are man Jane Goodalls of the gorilla orientation that observe them unceasingly, but really!

In order for this deviant ( or what they propose is deviant) behavior to be occuring, there must be a start. Are there a particular group of gorillas that mate that way, and is face-to-face the only way they mate?

By: Marcos

Marcos — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 03:56:26 +0000

Now that up there was the Devil’s advocate, you always have to take him with a grain of salt. ahem. I myself was originally thinking that this couple was a radical minority. But then I read the article and it noted that George was the dominant male, so he has to be somewhat orthodox at least to arrive at the station of dominant male. So what we can say is that George has converted to reformer, or that Leah is special, or that George is ill, or that it was a clever ploy conceived to trick the humans into a false sense of security. We may never know. Just like we may never know who gassed 4th period today. hmm.