One of the most memorable things of any Intro to Anthropology class are bonobos. These chimpanzee cousins, found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo, live in peaceful, female-led groups. They eschew violence and deal with stress that comes their way through casual sex, which often involves the entire group and employs the missionary position and same-sex partners.

In short, they’re sex monkeys. They’re cool. In college, my roommates and I even named our short-lived band after them.

The New Yorker, however, has published a piece by Ian Parker saying that bonobos may not be as cool as popular perception would suggest. He claims that our idyllic image of them is largely influenced by our desire to have human violence and cruelty be a learned trait instead of an innate one. Chimpanzees used to fill the role of peaceful primates, but Jane Goodall’s research revealed tales of wars and cannibalism, and bonobos neatly slid in to take their place.

This pop image of the bonobo—equal parts dolphin, Dalai Lama, and Warren Beatty—has flourished largely in the absence of the animal itself, which was recognized as a species less than a century ago. Two hundred or so bonobos are kept in captivity around the world; but, despite being one of just four species of great ape, along with orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees, the wild bonobo has received comparatively little scientific scrutiny.

The passivity and erotic proclivities that have been observed in bonobos are skewed reactions to the abundance and boredom of captivity, Parker argues. His article points out signs of decidedly chimp-like behavior, including biting off the fingers and toes of groupmates, and he presents studies arguing that chimps actually engage in more sex than their supposed swinging counterparts.

It’s an interesting read, but it’s not entirely convincing. Parker mostly counters anecdotes of bonobo uniqueness with anecdotes of his own. One researcher says he thinks bonobos are “very tense,” another argues that the genital rubbing exhibited by females “probably [doesn’t] have anything to do sex.” Neither comes off as very scientific in these proclamations. The proceedings are also filled with the personality feuding and nit-picking that scientists excel at.

Still, Parker is right to point out how little is actually known about this species, and how narrow the pedestal is upon which we currently place them. More research needs to be done to find out whether the popular image we have of bonobos is accurate. But until it takes place, I’m happy to buy into the myth of the sex monkey, if only for the enjoyment of college freshman everywhere.