Apr 9, 2019 05:47 AM
https://www.insidescience.org/news/resea...ter-placed
EXCERPT: . . . The first thing that struck the researchers was how large the clitorises were, said [Patricia] Brennan. The shape was similar to that of a human clitoris, although the dolphins lacked structures called vestibular bulbs that extend down on either side of a woman's vulva. Like human clitorises, the dolphin clitorises were composed largely of erectile tissue, dense with blood vessels that would allow them to swell. They were also packed with nerve endings, indicating that the organs were highly sensitive, said Brennan.
The location, though, is different between the two species. The tip of a dolphin's clitoris is located lower than a woman's, right at the dolphin's vaginal opening. "So essentially, there is no way that the copulation could happen [in dolphins] without stimulation of the clitoris," said Brennan.
Sexual pleasure in animals has not received a great deal of attention from researchers, said Brennan. But [...] dolphins are known to be highly sexual creatures. Males have been seen masturbating and even penetrating each other's blowholes. Male dolphins often appear to coerce females into sex, and it can be hard to tell what a female really wants in a mating situation, said [Dara] Orbach. But even though the females are only fertile for a few days every two to three years, they mate year-round, suggesting that dolphin intercourse serves other purposes in addition to procreation. (MORE)
EXCERPT: . . . The first thing that struck the researchers was how large the clitorises were, said [Patricia] Brennan. The shape was similar to that of a human clitoris, although the dolphins lacked structures called vestibular bulbs that extend down on either side of a woman's vulva. Like human clitorises, the dolphin clitorises were composed largely of erectile tissue, dense with blood vessels that would allow them to swell. They were also packed with nerve endings, indicating that the organs were highly sensitive, said Brennan.
The location, though, is different between the two species. The tip of a dolphin's clitoris is located lower than a woman's, right at the dolphin's vaginal opening. "So essentially, there is no way that the copulation could happen [in dolphins] without stimulation of the clitoris," said Brennan.
Sexual pleasure in animals has not received a great deal of attention from researchers, said Brennan. But [...] dolphins are known to be highly sexual creatures. Males have been seen masturbating and even penetrating each other's blowholes. Male dolphins often appear to coerce females into sex, and it can be hard to tell what a female really wants in a mating situation, said [Dara] Orbach. But even though the females are only fertile for a few days every two to three years, they mate year-round, suggesting that dolphin intercourse serves other purposes in addition to procreation. (MORE)