This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
As Gwenn Seemel points out in her richly illustrated book, Crime Against Nature, the non-human animal kingdom is chock-full of examples that challenge many of our deeply held beliefs about what is "natural" behavior in everything from sexual preference to lifestyle choices to gender roles and even gender identity.
A third gender, male pregnancy and lactation, female penises - Seemel's book covers it all and reminds us that if you're inclined to look to nature for answers regarding what is "normal," "natural," or even "moral," it's clear that nature passes no judgement. There are no rules but the ones we impose on ourselves.
These images comprise a series of posters that combine the book's text and illustrations into one. Many of Seemel's original acrylic paintings from Crime Against Nature are available for sale (scroll down).
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You can read Crime Against Natureonline for free or buy it in pdf format ($6) or hard copy ($35).
Gwenn Seemel is also a portrait artist. View her portrait portfolio here.