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Submitted via IRC for Bytram
Could the female orgasm be a happy remnant of evolution?
As a team of researchers pointed out, during intercourse the male orgasm serves an obvious reproductive function: Without it, ejaculation can't happen. But the reproductive role of female orgasm has been much less clear, because ovulation in humans occurs whether a woman has recently had an orgasm or not. So the very existence of the female orgasm in women has long been a physiological mystery. But now U.S. researchers (with the help of some sexually active rabbits) believe they may have solved this riddle.
The new research was led by Gunter Wagner, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale, and Mihaela Pavlicev, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati.
According to the investigators, part of the puzzle has been that the clitoris—the central locus for the female orgasm—is located a good distance above where the real "action" of reproductive intercourse occurs.
That led the team to look further back in the mammalian family tree. And as the two scientists reported in the Sept. 30 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the clitoris is much more central to intercourse for animals such as cats, rabbits and ferrets. In those mammals, the clitoris is located along the reproductive pathway used for intercourse. In fact, in female rabbits, clitoral stimulation and orgasm is actually required to initiate the ovulation needed to reproduce.
That's different from what happens in women, of course. So Wagner and Pavlicev theorized that, somewhere along the evolutionary timeline, the clitoris migrated away from the center of reproductive activity while retaining its ability to release pleasure-inducing hormones.
To test out their theory that the female orgasm is essential to procreation—at least in other mammals—the two scientists injected the anti-depressant fluoxetine (best known as Prozac) into female rabbits.
Since the drug is known to deplete a woman's ability to orgasm, the researchers theorized that, by extension, rabbits who got the shot might be less likely to ovulate. And that was the case: As the female rabbits' ability to orgasm foundered, they ovulated 30% less often, compared to females that didn't get the antidepressant.
More information: Mihaela Pavlicev et al. An experimental test of the ovulatory homolog model of female orgasm, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2019). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1910295116
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday October 02 2019, @05:55PM (7 children)
I seem to recall some studies indicating it does increase the chance of fertilization.
Not gonna go searching for citations at work though!
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday October 02 2019, @06:20PM
Increasing chances of fertilization is not inconsistent with also increasing chances of successful offspring reaching adulthood.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday October 02 2019, @06:36PM
Something to do with contractions accelerating the uptake of semen...
The real challenge is that the researchers are attempting to describe a population of 3+ billion based on pitifully small sample sizes.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by NotSanguine on Wednesday October 02 2019, @09:01PM (3 children)
I came to post the same. ISTR that during female orgasm the contractions (peristalsis) of the uterine walls draws the sperm into the cervix, improving the chances of fertilization.
I couldn't find the specific study I read years ago, but this review [nih.gov] does discuss that phenomenon (with references):
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Alfred on Wednesday October 02 2019, @09:44PM (2 children)
I learned a new highly scientific term today
(Score: 3, Funny) by FatPhil on Wednesday October 02 2019, @11:06PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by EvilJim on Friday October 04 2019, @12:39AM
snort that up your crotch-nostril ladies.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Thursday October 03 2019, @03:24AM
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