Yes, it’s true. Prostitution is bigger and (probably) older than humanity. A recent study by Michael Gumert demonstrates a “mating market” operating among Indonesian macaques in which males pay for sex by grooming females. The sophisticated system involves many factors, as high-ranking males pay less for sexual access, low-ranking females are cheaper than ones further up the hierarchy, and the number females available for sex directly affects the price each one commands. Sounds a lot like the situation at Queen and Sherbourne, eh? There’s not much more to say, but I’m sure this system will be studied rather intensively in the near future. I’ll leave you with a couple pictures from Gumert’s paper, showing a male grooming a female, and then the female begging for more as the male gets down to business.