Evolution turned this fish into a 'penis with a heart.' Here's how.
When it comes to dating in the abyssal depths of the ocean, appearance doesn't matter much. That's fortunate for anglerfish, which resemble nightmarish fanged potatoes with a little reading lamp on top. And those are just the females.
If you've never seen a male anglerfish before, you're not missing much. Measuring just a few centimeters long on average, male anglers are a mere fraction of their partners' size, and contribute a fraction of the work to their relationships. For many anglerfish species, the male's sole responsibility is to permanently latch onto an obliging mate, fuse his circulatory system with hers, then slowly allow his eyes, fins and most of his internal organs to degenerate until he becomes what biologist Stephen Jay Gould called "a penis with a heart." The male gets constant nourishment; the female gets sperm on demand. The anglerfish circle of life spins on.
It's beautiful, we know. But this unique mating ritual — which biologists call "sexual parasitism" — has long stumped researchers. How could the female angler's immune system even allow such a permanent, parasitic union to occur?
It's a good thing humans are more evolved and don't have this style of courtship and lifetime commitment.
Journal Reference:
Jeremy B. Swann, Stephen J. Holland, Malte Petersen, et al. The immunogenetics of sexual parasitism [$], Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz9445)
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by Bot on Tuesday August 04 2020, @08:20AM (5 children)
this seems the right thread to post the lyrics of Depeche Mode "It's called a heart" with just a word substitution.
There's something beating here inside my body
And it's called a dick
You know how easy it is to tear it apart
If I lend it to you, would you keep it safe for me
I'll lend it to you, will you treat it tenderly
There's something beating here inside my body
And it's called a dick
There's a sun shining in the sky
But that's not the reason why I'm feeling warm inside
The answer isn't classified- it's my dick
From the moment I started
I tried to be good about it
Yes I've tried my best
And more or less, I spoke from my dick
There's a lot to be learned
And you learn when your dick gets burned
There's something beating here inside my body
And it's called a dick
You know how easy it is to tear it apart
If I lend it to you, would you keep it safe for me
I'll lend it to you, will you treat it tenderly
There's something beating here inside my body
And it's called a dick
dicks can never be owned
dicks only come on loan
If I want it back
I will take it back
I'll take my dick
But I will try my best
And more or less
I will speak from my dick
Yes, I will speak from my dick
Speak from my dick
There's a lot to be learned
And you learn when your dick gets burned
There's something beating here inside my body
And it's called a dick
You know how easy it is to tear it apart
If I lend it to you, would you keep it safe for me
I'll lend it to you, will you treat it tenderly
There's something beating here inside my body
And it's called a dick
Account abandoned.
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by Bot on Tuesday August 04 2020, @08:24AM (2 children)
And the more mainstream and obvious eponymous hit from Yes
Move yourself
You always live your life
Never thinking of the futureMove yourself
You always live your life
Never thinking of the future
Prove yourself
You are the move you make
Take your chances, win or loser
See yourself
You are the steps you take
You and you, and that's the only way
Shake, shake yourself
You're every move you make
So the story goes
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
(Much better than a)
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Say, you don't want to chance it
You've been hurt so before
Watch it now
The eagle in the sky
How he dancin' one and only
You, lose yourself
No not for pity's sake
There's no real reason to be lonely
Be yourself
Give your free will a chance
You've got to want to succeed
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
(Much better than a)
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
After my own indecision
They confused me so
Owner of a lonely heart
My love said never question your will at all
In the end you've got to go
Look before you leap
Owner of a lonely heart
And don't you hesitate at all, no no
Yow!
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
(Much better than a)
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
(Much better than a)
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Sooner or later each conclusion
Will decide the lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
It will excite, it will delight
It will give a better start
Owner of a lonely heart
Don't deceive your free will at all
Don't deceive your free will at all
Owner of a lonely heart
Don't deceive your free will at all
Just receive it
Just receive it
(Owner of a lonely heart)
Prove yourself
You are the move you make
Take your chances, win or loser
See yourself
You are the steps you take
You and you, and that's the only way
Shake, shake yourself
You're every move you make
So the story goes
Owner of a lonely dick
Owner of a lonely dick
(Much better than a)
Owner of a broken dick
Owner of a lonely dick
Say, you don't want to chance it
You've been hurt so before
Watch it now
The eagle in the sky
How he dancin' one and only
You, lose yourself
No not for pity's sake
There's no real reason to be lonely
Be yourself
Give your free will a chance
You've got to want to succeed
Owner of a lonely dick
Owner of a lonely dick
(Much better than a)
Owner of a broken dick
Owner of a lonely dick
Owner of a lonely dick
After my own indecision
They confused me so
Owner of a lonely dick
My love said never question your will at all
In the end you've got to go
Look before you leap
Owner of a lonely dick
And don't you hesitate at all, no no
Yow!
Owner of a lonely dick
Owner of a lonely dick
(Much better than a)
Owner of a broken dick
Owner of a lonely dick
Owner of a lonely dick
Owner of a lonely dick
(Much better than a)
Owner of a broken dick
Owner of a lonely dick
Owner of a lonely dick
Sooner or later each conclusion
Will decide the lonely dick
Owner of a lonely dick
It will excite, it will delight
It will give a better start
Owner of a lonely dick
Don't deceive your free will at all
Don't deceive your free will at all
Owner of a lonely dick
Don't deceive your free will at all
Just receive it
Just receive it
(Owner of a lonely dick)
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @08:47PM (1 child)
How is it "eponymous" if "Yes" is not in the song title?
Most awesome band ever, by the way.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2020, @08:18AM
I meant, the song gave notoriety to the group, ofc I mean mainstream exposure, so I used the term quite metaphorically.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday August 04 2020, @05:20PM (1 child)
Looking forward to other classics such as:
Achey-breaky Dick
Dickbreak Hotel
Don't Go Breaking My Dick
...
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Bot on Tuesday August 04 2020, @09:52PM
I was thinking about less mainstream stuff, we're here to improve the culture of millennials else they will repeat the mistakes of the 68
What about billy idol
I'm all out of hope
One more bad break
Could bring a fall
When I'm far from home
Don't call me on the phone
To tell me you're alone
It's easy to deceive
It's easy to tease
But hard to get release
dicks without a face
(Les dix sans visage)
dicks without a face
(Les dix sans visage)
dicks without a face
Got no human grace
You're dicks without a face
I spend so much time
Believing all the lies
To keep the dream alive
Now it makes me sad
It makes me mad at truth
For loving what was you
dicks without a face
(Les dix sans visage)
dicks without a face
(Les dix sans visage)
dicks without a face
Got no human grace
You're dicks without a face (face, face, face)
When you hear the music, you make a dip
Into someone else's pocket then make a slip
You teal a car and go to Las Vegas
Ooh, gigolo cool
Hanging out by the state line
Turning holy water into wine
Drinkin' it down, oh, oh-oh, ow
I'm on a bus on a psychedelic trip
Reading murder books, tryin' to stay hip
I'm thinkin' of you, you're out there, so
Say your prayers
Say your prayers
Say your prayers (oh)
Now I close my dicks
And I wonder why
I don't despise
Now all I can do
Love what was once
So alive in you
But it's gone from your dicks
I better realize
dicks without a face
(Les dix sans visage)
dicks without a face
(Les dix sans visage)
dicks without a face
Got no human grace
You're dicks without a face
Such a human waste
You're dicks without a face (face, face, face)
And now it's getting worse
Account abandoned.