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The Penis Only Evolved Once, Suggests Study of Lizard Embryos

posted by cmn32480 on Friday October 30 2015, @09:14AM   
from the now-this-is-hard-science dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

The fact that the tuataras don't have penises makes them a useful study organism because it allows scientists to ask whether the lizards' ancestors had penises and lost them, or never had them to begin with. Now, according to new research published today in Biology Letters, the last common ancestor of all the amniotes did, in fact, have an erectable phallus, and that the modern diversity is the result of evolutionary tweaks over time (not the separate evolution of different phalluses).

Overheard at a cocktail party:

'So, what do you do?'
'I study lizard penises.'

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Original Submission

• Re:reminds me of an article Re:reminds me of an article (Score: 2) by ilPapa on Friday October 30 2015, @02:00PM

  by ilPapa (2366) on Friday October 30 2015, @02:00PM (#256455) Journal

  The penis may only have evolved once, but the human design is almost certainly the peak as regards competition.

  That's true. I have the blue ribbons to prove it.

  --
  You are still welcome on my lawn.

  Parent

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• Re:reminds me of an article (Score: 2) by fritsd on Friday October 30 2015, @02:13PM

  by fritsd (4586) on Friday October 30 2015, @02:13PM (#256461) Journal

  That's true. I have the blue ribbons to prove it.

  AhA!! so YOU are that prized Scotsman [wikia.com]!

  "See yon sleeping Scotsman, so strong and handsome built?
  I wonder if it's true what they don't wear beneath the kilt!"

  Parent