The information in this article has been gleaned from, but is not limited to the linked articles and the following books: Sex at Dawn, Mating in Captivity, The Third Chimpanzee, and The Moral Animal. As a species, why do we mate the way we do? Obviously different people have their own unique, what should we call it, style of making love, and this style can change and adapt over time (for better or for worse). But what if we zoom out a degree from the individual to the species and consider the average, or the limits, of our homo sapiens mating nature? Taxonomically speaking, we humans are not excluded from the category of Great Apes that includes orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos. This being known, how then would we differ, say, from these closest genetic relatives? What makes human mating practices, well, human? For example, male chimpanzees have been observed trading meat for sex, and bonobos have been documented looking into each other’s eyes and kissing with tongue while mating face-to-face missionary style. So, like, how unique are we really? A Note on Evolution It may seem paradoxical to some that the subtitle would suggest a combination of the concepts of anthropology and divinity all at once, for if we were truly divine creatures created by God, Source, The Great Mother, etc - then how could we possibly have evolved from mere “animals”? This debate used to take up much of my time, (my indoctrination degree is a Bachelor of Arts in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology after all), and I could approach from various angles how evolution had to be the truth and was the obvious answer. Now, I’m not so sure, and that doesn’t surprise me. Once I started learning about how many things we were lied to about, it is totally fair to conclude we were lied to about the biggest things we were taught as well. I can’t say for certain anymore things that used to be major obvious facts like if we went to the moon, if the holocaust happened in the way they taught us it did, or if the Earth is round. Could evolution be as well a farce that is just one more attempt at separating us from our spiritual sacredness? Possibly, so I’m not ruling it out anymore. Now I know that I know with certainty almost nothing, and if evolution is all rubbish, so be it. However, no matter what is real or not real, I will not be excluding the creator from the conversation anymore. Regardless of the true historicity of our questionable and miraculous origins as a species, the following version of the absolutely marvelous interconnectedness of our human bodies, relationship dynamics, mating habits, and natural birthing behaviors inspires me to not only take more care in the attention of the relationship I have with my wife, but it allows me to see my fellow humans, men and women alike, as true individuals each with great power and purpose. Pass the Genes, Please Where might one start on the journey to unpack the sexuality of ourselves and our primate cousins? How about with the initial point of mating: reproduction.Reproduction is the passing of one’s genes onto the next generation through our offspring. “Our genes” are not only our own, but the genes of every ancestor we have ever had. Being able to reproduce is to extend the lifespan of every one that came before us. And just how many people came before us? Well, 2 generations is 4 grandparents, 5 generations is 32 grandparents, and 10 generations is 1,024 grandparents. That means in only the last 10 generations 2046 people mated to ultimately lead to your unique present existence. Whoa. Can you feel it? In this context, some would call passing on the genes of your bloodline the most honorable thing you could do with your life, as those ancestors often fought tooth and nail, had to create resources out of dust, and find wisdom and cleverness through action to ensure their own and their children’s survival. They, like you, had a unique life experience worthy of biograph