From the sea horse that mates in an hypnotic underwater ballet to the rodent who copulates until he literally drops dead, THE NATURE OF SEX spans the globe to illustrate how an astonishing diversity of life forms find their mates and conceive, raise, and protect their offspring.

This Web companion to the four-part series takes a close look at the primal instinct that causes animals to come together in order to pass along their genes to the next generation. We also examine how timing can be key in the mating process, and how varied sex contracts create not only new life, but diversity, in both animals and humans.

Our interactive multimedia presentation The Mystery of Mating allows for a closer glimpse into the mating habits of a few of nature's more interesting creatures. And interesting doesn't even begin to describe the world of the naked mole rat. We also explore this unique society, in our presentation Mothering Underground. (To view these presentations, you will need the latest Flash plug-in. The video clips presented throughout this Web piece require QuickTime 3 or above.)

Plus, you can take our Sex Pop Quiz to test your knowledge of animal procreation. In case you don't score very well, head straight for our extensive resources section, with loads of links and books to satisfy your every sex-related curiosity.

The Nature of Sex

The Primal Instinct | A Time and a Place | The Sex Contract

Sex and the Human Animal | Resources | Credits

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