Sex and Evolution

[Oxymoron]

I was (ahem) wondering about the female orgasm. AFAIK humans are the only creature in which this takes place. What are the theories about how and why this might have come about (no pun intended)? The evolutionary benefit of making sex more mutual springs to mind, but does this imply that rape is nature's de facto strategy? Since it appears the clitoris is a complex structure with a lot of nerve plumbing, how did it happen that female humans suddenly had this in place whereas every other mammal or otherwise in existence didn't?

[nessa20x]

http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Alligator-Penis-Apopka-Guillette.htm

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=24801&tocid=0&query=clitoris&ct=

http://www.biolreprod.org/cgi/content/full/66/3/610

ewww
http://lam.vet.uga.edu/LAM/LM000010.HTM


The clitoris derives from the same embryonic tissue as the head of your penis. Other mammals do have them...in hyenas they are greatly distended to form a psudopenis (along with the vulva) and are involved in social acceptance rituals, status symbols etc.

[Oxymoron]

Originally posted by nessa20x
http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Alligator-Penis-Apopka-Guillette.htm

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=24801&tocid=0&query=clitoris&ct=

http://www.biolreprod.org/cgi/content/full/66/3/610

ewww
http://lam.vet.uga.edu/LAM/LM000010.HTM


The clitoris derives from the same embryonic tissue as the head of your penis. Other mammals do have them...in hyenas they are greatly distended to form a psudopenis (along with the vulva) and are involved in social acceptance rituals, status symbols etc.
Interesting, but there's a lot of reading and yukky pictures to get through, I'll take some time to assimilate. Does this address the evolutionary issue - are other female animals capable of orgasm, even if they have a clitoris? My understanding was not. And why might it be that humans have this capability?

[nessa20x]

Umm I'm not a vet...so I don't know about whether females in every mammalian group have orgasms, but my guess would be yes. I am certain horses do after assisting with the breeding of several mares.
Heres a couple sites on the subject. They claim that other female mammals (definently primates) do have orgasms and give some evolutionary reasons why it is advantagous.


http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~kim/orgasm.html

I'm not sure about the evolutionary advantages. I wouldn't have sex if I never had an orgasm though, would you? It seems like in order to alter the hormonal balances to create a more favorable environment for an embryo to form, there would have to be some sort of stimulus...maybe this is the orgasm part.

[Godless Wonder]

Bonobos spring to mind:

http://songweaver.com/info/bonobos.html Perhaps the bonobo's most typical sexual pattern, undocumented in any other primate, is genito-genital rubbing (or GG rubbing) between adult females. One female facing another clings with arms and legs to a partner that, standing on both hands and feet, lifts her off the ground. The two females then rub their genital swellings laterally together, emitting grins and squeals that probably reflect orgasmic experiences. (Laboratory experiments on stump- tailed macaques have demonstrated that women are not the only female primates capable of physiological orgasm.)

[Jet Black]

my girlfriend's dog seems to.

[variant 13]

From what I read in a useless info book female pigs orgasms last up to 30 minutes!!!!!:eek:

As for why? Don't ask questions like that just enjoy it :)
What better way to make you want to have sex than to make it something that feels so good?