The Matriarchal Society of Bonobos

In the past, little was known about the bonobos. They were referred to by the name(and incorrectly I might add) pygmy chimpanzees. The difference between bonobos and other primate societies is that their society is run by the females. Their rule is so subtle and so tolerable that many who have studied them view their units as an equal partnership or as gender equality.

When bonobo research became a serious science, the thing that first made humans uncomfortable was their public demonstrations of affection. These displays are quite graphic. Bonobos make love not war quite freely with every type of combination possible including females with females, males with males and even youngsters and infants become part of the act.

Bonobos use sex as a way to bond, to soothe and to make amends after a disagreement. Sex is the way they strengthen their alliances and as a way to diffuse tension. Scientists have claimed that without this excess of sex, that the society that bonobos created would crumble. Sex in bonobo society is not what it seems. It is a social interaction that can be compared to backslapping among men and hugs and kisses among women friends.

Bonobos are the least known in the primate family and it is said that there are approximately one hundred of them that can be found in zoos. Similar to chimpanzees in many ways, their differences make them seem more human than any other primate. Their backs are straight with a build that is slender. They have heads that are smaller than their chimpanzee cousins and they are not as heavily built.

Bonobo society differs from that of the chimpanzee in that it is a much less aggressive atmosphere. Power and status are not as important to bonobos as they are more interested in the art of love than the intricacies of war. Humans and bonobos both use sex for other purposes than reproduction and this links them in an intimate way.

Another way in which the society of bonobos differ from others is that when the females reach adolescence they are the ones to leave the group and forge new relationships with virtual strangers. In other primate societies, it is usually the male that is the one to look for greener pastures.

Girl power is the phrase that comes to mind when one thinks of bonobos. They form tight bonds with females that are not related to them and will stick up for each other against a marauding male and are usually the first to eat and be offered food.

Many of the males in human society when faced with the truth about the bonobo lifestyle feel a sense of indignity, as if their place in the world is being questioned. Perhaps they recognize that women in fact need them for just one thing and with modern technology, we don't even need them for that anymore.