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I read somewhere that dolphins and humans are some of the only species known to have sex for fun. I was just curious

  1. What motivates mammals to mate? (Like what compels them to do it, not what the purpose of doing it is)
  2. Are those motives solely aligned for reproduction or are there other benefits to mating?
Stan Shunpike
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  • There are pheromones and other hormonal signals. I don't think sex was ever about fun. IMO, fun (or the ecstatic feeling/dopamine release) is probably just a response that would increase the chance of mating (in the sense of the organism wanting to try again). – WYSIWYG Mar 23 '16 at 08:23
  • What determines when pheromones and hormones are released? Are there mating seasons where environmental factors trigger them? – Stan Shunpike Mar 23 '16 at 08:37
  • There are environmental factors. It can be periodic like in the case of estrus. I have to read a bit to answer your question in detail. – WYSIWYG Mar 23 '16 at 08:47
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    Different animals are compelled by different things. If you have a specific animal in mind I'd suggest focussing the question on that. As it stands the question would require too broad an answer. – James Mar 23 '16 at 16:13
  • I enjoy questions on animals mating – Fraïssé Mar 24 '16 at 02:23

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