Roy and Silo probably had no idea that their building a nest together would create such a stir.
But in fact, the two male penguins in New York's Central Park Zoo sparked debate over the issue of whether homosexuality is natural.
UC Riverside professor Marlene Zuk has plenty to say on the subject.
She'll be discussing the issue Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands.
The talk is free.
As far as Roy and Silo, they incubated a rock and when provided with a real egg were able to raise a chick. Gay-rights activists used the pair as proof that homosexuality occurs in nature.
Zuk, who focuses on behavioral ecology and more specifically sexual selection, says the importance of the penguins' relationship is not whether it proves that homosexuality is natural but rather whether it offers a larger view of the purpose of sex.
Bonobo chimpanzees, for instance, use sex to defuse tense situations, including with members of the same sex, according to Zuk.
Word has it that Roy and Silo separated in 2005 after some six years of paired behavior. Apparently, Silo found another partner _ this time a female named Scrappy.

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