Davian behavior

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are very few or no other articles that link to this one.
Please help introduce links in articles on related topics. After links have been created, remove this message.
This article has been tagged since July 2006.

Davian behavior is a scientific term of art referring to copulation with a dead conspecific. It was first observed† in ground squirrels and in a bit of wit was named after an old limerick ("There was an old miner named Dave/ who kept a dead whore in his cave..."). The term was published in the Journal of Mammalogy. Dickerman, Robert W. 1960. J. Mammal. 41(3): 403-404.

Davian behavior has since been observed and published in birds (Wilson Bull. 100 (2), June 1988) and anurans (Meshaka, W. E., Jr. 1997. Anuran Davian behavior: a Darwinian dilemma. Florida Scientist 59:74–75.).

↑As the limerick suggests, copulation with a dead conspecific (necrophilia) was undoudtedlty noted in humans before being described in other mammals. The fact that we have laws prohibiting the activity (usually termed abuse of a corpse) indicates that the behavior exists.