# Is the notion of bestiality and speciation related? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 19, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248 "2012-04-19T04:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SDMBKL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sdmbkl/32/7297_2.png) [@SDMBKL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SDMBKL)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/1 "2012-04-19T04:52:55Z")
You know how introductory Biology textbooks would teach us that when a species becomes two species, then the two species may not reproduce with each other, depending on how far the speciation takes place. So, I am wondering if this why humans don’t mate with animals. Perhaps, speciation may be the underlying reason why humans don’t mate with non-human animals, and perhaps this is why bestiality is considered immoral or illegal in some jurisdictions? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/2 "2012-04-19T11:14:57Z")
No. It is because it is icky. I cannot speak for other cultures, but in the West it is pretty much understood that sex shold be for reproduction, in a marriage. That it is also fun is a side effect, and was probably introduced by the Devil himself to tempt Man. Any sexual use of the penis except for heterosexual intercourse in marriage is sinful and a display that the man has given in to his baser nature. Non-productive use of the gonads is considered sinful, whether he is wanking off, butt-fucking another man, gettign a blowjob or fuckng a goat. Biological concepts of speciation did not enter into the reasoning. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/3 "2012-04-19T11:20:03Z")
The OP is probably better suited to IMHO, rather than General Questions. **samclem** ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/4 "2012-04-19T12:14:16Z")
Speciation, although it describes a biological reality, is a fairly modern concept - it is the \*by definition the reason \*why humans only breed with other humans, but the concept of bestiality (and attached stigma) is a lot older than the concept of speciation. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/5 "2012-04-19T13:15:21Z")
Thinking people realize that bestiality is immoral because animals cannot consent. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/6 "2012-04-19T13:57:42Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Thinking people realize that bestiality is immoral because animals cannot consent. Also, they’re selfish lovers. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/7 "2012-04-19T15:17:39Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Thinking people realize that bestiality is immoral because animals cannot consent. It was considered wrong while men were happily humping their serving girls, slaves and for that matter their wives without worrying much about their opinions on the matter. I don’t think consent was ever an issue. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/8 "2012-04-19T15:54:43Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > It was considered wrong while men were happily humping their serving girls, slaves and for that matter their wives without worrying much about their opinions on the matter. I don’t think consent was ever an issue. I don’t know, what about all of the Greek myths of Zeus taking the form of a bull or swan to get it on with some hot human. Or was it only ok if they thought a God was involved? ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/9 "2012-04-19T16:24:38Z")
We’re also the only species left in our genus, so there are no really similar species that we might be tempted to mate with. If some of the extinct species of _Homo_ were still alive, maybe more people would consider sex outside their species. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/10 "2012-04-19T16:26:05Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Or was it only ok if they thought a God was involved? Is there a long, proud tradition of Grecian swan-fucking outside of myth? If there is, I don’t want to know about it. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/11 "2012-04-19T17:53:46Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Is there a long, proud tradition of Grecian swan-fucking outside of myth? If there is, I don’t want to know about it. What do you think The Ugly Duckling is about? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/12 "2012-04-19T19:25:53Z")
It’s the other way around: An aversion to bestiality is one of the mechanisms that leads to speciation. There are plenty of animals which _can_ produce offspring with each other, but which in practice almost never do, because they have no natural inclination to mate with each other. They might end up mating with partners they’d never ordinarily pick if they’re penned up in cages away from their preferred partners for a long enough time, but then, the same is true of humans. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/13 "2012-04-19T19:37:26Z")
> [@heathen\_earthling](#): > > We’re also the only species left in our genus, so there are no really similar species that we might be tempted to mate with. . Speak for [yoursel](http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-07-29/news/17929877_1_horse-surveillance-cameras-probation)f. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/14 "2012-04-19T19:49:30Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I don’t know, what about all of the Greek myths of Zeus taking the form of a bull or swan to get it on with some hot human. Or was it only ok if they thought a God was involved? According to the excellent and well cited The Beast Within- A History Of The Werewolf, one of the reasons for bans on bestiality was a general belief that half human offspring would result. Besides the Greek myths, there were noble families who traced their lineage to wolves, bears, and lions. ---
**Author:** ![mister\_nyx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@mister\_nyx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_nyx)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-notion-of-bestiality-and-speciation-related/619248/15 "2012-04-20T03:35:19Z")
Is this a joke question? Obviously proscriptions on bestiality predate by thousands of years the concept of the biological species, let alone speciation. No one could possibly be confused enough to attribute the former to the later.