Abstract:
We present the first evidence of a possible case of the Oedipus complex in a nonprimate.
An Antarctic fur seal pup, Arctocephalus gazella, unsuccessfully directed what
appeared to be copulatory behaviour towards its own mother on several occasions. A
herding sub-adult bull chased the pup from the female, which strengthens our
suggestion that it was copulatory behaviour we witnessed. This seemed to constitute
innocent sexual play with elements of the Oedipus complex rather than coercion
because the female was not stressed nor did the pup possess the physical strength to
coerce the female.
