Torture penises

[Oolon Colluphid]

Thought that title would get your attention... :D

From National Geographic News, 25 February 2009:

"Torture" Phalluses Give Beetles Reproductive Edge

It's no pain, no gain in the cutthroat world of seed beetle sex: Males with the longest and spiniest genitalia propagate their genes better than their less endowed rivals, a new study says.

The males' sexual organs have barbs and spikes that resemble medieval torture instruments, said study co-author Göran Arnqvist, an evolutionary biologist at Sweden's Uppsala University.

"They literally injure females internally in their copulatory duct. They're pretty mean," Arnqvist said.

Several species, especially among insects, are known to physically harm their mates in reproduction, but scientists aren't sure why these traits evolved.

The new research offers the first proof that dangerous genitalia in males can represent a reproductive advantage.

The resulting wounds in the females, however, are likely just an "unfortunate side effect" of the strategy, Arnqvist said, and do not provide a reproductive benefit.

[...]

After examining the males' genitalia under a microscope, the researchers discovered that the males with the most damaging sexual organs fertilized more eggs, the scientists will report in the March 10 issue of the journal Current Biology.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/photogalleries/spiky-beetle-genitals/images/primary/090225-03-spiky-beetle-genitals_big.jpg

The genitalia of the C. analis beetle is covered in spines from base to tip. As male seed beetles' genitalia have evolved to be spinier, the bugs' reproductive success has improved, experts say in a study to be released in March 2009.

At the same time, females' genitalia have evolved in a sort of "arms race," the study says.

Females have thick padding on their reproductive tract that's reinforced with strong, elastic connective tissue. After each mating event—about five to ten in a lifetime—the wounds heal and leave scar tissue.

That God, eh? What a little scamp.

[Jobar]

OK, just how the fuck (to coin a phrase) could this sort of thing offer a reproductive advantage?

Might it serve to 'capture' the female, so as to give the male time to inject more sperm and therefore fertilize more eggs?

[Oolon Colluphid]

OK, just how the fuck (to coin a phrase) could this sort of thing offer a reproductive advantage?

Might it serve to 'capture' the female, so as to give the male time to inject more sperm and therefore fertilize more eggs?
Dammit, sorry, forgot to give the link.

http://news.nationalgeographic.co.uk/news/2009/02/090225-seed-beetle-sex.html

You're not far off, Jobar:
Though Arnqvist doesn't know why bigger is better, he suggests longer spines may act as an anchor: "Males can position their genitalia in an optimal way inside the female as the male releases [its] sperm."

A female typically mates with several males in her lifetime, driving competition among her various partners' sperm.

[...]

As spinier genitalia have evolved in males, female genitalia have also evolved, in a sort of "arms race," study co-author Arnqvist said.

Females have thick padding on their reproductive tract that's reinforced with strong, elastic connective tissue. After each mating event—about five to ten in their 25- to 30-day lifetime—the wounds heal and leave scar tissue.

Females are also skillful at thwarting males' attempts to mate, Arnqvist added.

This battle could hinder the beetles' longterm viability as a species, since evolving new defenses wastes energy that could be spent elsewhere.
I guess we'll have to wait for the article for more details. But TBH, till I get to see the article, I'm not sure it's telling us much that's new. I had the beetle Xylocaris maculipennis in SMOGGM for a while (can't remember why I took it out), but from it, I was already aware that many beetle species' males were sexual sadists. Link (http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=CA31asx7zq4C&pg=PT199&lpg=PT199&dq=xylocoris+maculipennis&source=bl&ots=hAsJepjQyZ&sig=tl1WxEFrzFdB69Y69Qea1gsvUCU&hl=en&ei=3-qnSdDzI9SyjAek5-ziDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result)

[DMB]

Don't domestic cats have barbed penises? The females cerainly seem to have an uncomfortable time of it.

[Notta]

Don't domestic cats have barbed penises? The females cerainly seem to have an uncomfortable time of it.
Yes, they do.

I seem to recall somewhere that the pain of withdrawal helps the female ovulate.

[DMB]

Given that we give birth to babies with huge heads that are painful and difficult to deliver, perhaps there is something to be said for the human repro system after all. And wouldn't men be insufferable if they were able to compare the length and spininess...!

[Garnet]

*gulps* That adds a new level of meaning to, "Don't point that thing at me."

[Lisa0315]

*gulps* That adds a new level of meaning to, "Don't point that thing at me."

ROFL! Yeah, and "You could put an eye out with that thing!"

[Mung Dynasty]

I'm bloody glad my willy isn't spiny. It would make holes in me underpants and cost me a fortune. Blow jobs would be out of the question too.

[DMB]

I'm bloody glad my willy isn't spiny. It would make holes in me underpants and cost me a fortune. Blow jobs would be out of the question too.

Except with really masochistic partners.

[Mung Dynasty]

Yeah but I'm not into them. Too many problems with that lot. http://www.councilofexmuslims.com/Smileys/custom/idiot2.gif

[Puck]

Might it serve to 'capture' the female, so as to give the male time to inject more sperm and therefore fertilize more eggs?

My thought was that it would make the female less likely to accept another mate again until she's healed. So no competition for that cycle. Combine your idea with mine and we might be closer yet.

[Mung Dynasty]

My thought was that it would make the female less likely to accept another mate again until she's healed.

Humans manage to get that result without physical injury.:p

[Lisa0315]

Humans manage to get that result without physical injury.:p

Uhm no physical injury? Have you been pregnant or given birth? Trust me, physical injury for nine months with a near death experience at the end.

Lisa

[Mung Dynasty]

Uhm no physical injury? Have you been pregnant or given birth? Trust me, physical injury for nine months with a near death experience at the end.

Lisa

Twas a jest about emotional baggage. ;)

[Lisa0315]

Twas a jest about emotional baggage. ;)

oh...:o

[Jobar]

Another disadvantage to a spiny penis- rubbers would be right out.

OTOH, it would drive a search for a pierce-resistant plastic like nitrile...

[Brother Daniel]

I'm bloody glad my willy isn't spiny. It would make holes in me underpants and cost me a fortune. Blow jobs would be out of the question too.
I thought you wore your underpants on your head.

That's the impression your avatar gives, anyway.

[Lisa0315]

I thought you wore your underpants on your head.

That's the impression your avatar gives, anyway.

He doesn't wear them at all. I haz piktur. :D

[ofro]

Apparently, the immediate advantage the female gains from this copulation is water, which is provided copiously by the male. Thus the female does not need to search for it.

This would make most sense if these beetles are found in arid environments where water is scarce. The only indication I have for that is the mention that beetles came from places ranging from California to Yemen. The latter certainly can be pretty dry.

It's amazing what folks do just to get a drink.

[Puck]

Hummm, nice one, ofro. However, is a torture penis necessary for that? A couple seconds longer before ejaculation would achieve the same, without the need to develop such an extensive penis.

So far, I'm still of the mind that it would prevent the female from mating again until next cycle, thus guaranteeing the males DNA is passed on this time around. There are some kind of critters (totally can't remember which) who place a blockage to try to keep other males from mating with the female afterward, so we know that males will go to extremes to be the last to copulate with the female.

But like I said about Jobar's idea, it could well be a combination of reasons.

[ofro]

I don't know if the protection against double insemination plays a role here. The picture came up a while ago on TR, and I tried to read more about it. It really seems to just a water issue. IIRC, the more you starve the female for water, the more she is willing to mate with any male.

[ofro]

CHeck out the blog Neurophilosophy (http://scienceblogs.com/neurophilosophy/2007/08/a_novel_way_to_get_a_drink.php) for more info:
During mating, the female receives the water in the ejaculate as a "nuptial gift". The larger the amount of water contained within it, the longer it will be before the female mates with another male, and the less likely is the possibility of sperm competition.

And here is an original reference (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W9W-4NNYG28-1&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F31%2F2007&_rdoc=5&_fmt=summary&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info%28%23toc%236693%232007%23999259997%23666088%2 3FLA%23display%23Volume%29&_cdi=6693&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=26&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=c872bac520121f7a92c33fd44a60ddf4).

[Mung Dynasty]

There are some kind of critters (totally can't remember which) who place a blockage to try to keep other males from mating with the female afterward, so we know that males will go to extremes to be the last to copulate with the female.
Happens with humans too. There are numerous examples.

[Calilasseia]

Ah, insect genitalia again.

If you want to see a really complicated set of genitalia, look at the Rabbit Flea. The male copulatory organ is equipped with barbs, springs, corkscrew attachments and all manner of other weird rococo add-ons, to the extent of resembling a chitinous Swiss Army Knife. I'd post a pic, but I'm having difficulty tracking down an electron micrograph of this.

[ck1]

And then there is the wasp spider. During intercourse, the female will attack the male, who then makes his escape after breaking off his penis and leaving it behind in the female (about 80% of the time).

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Males-That-Broke-off-Their-Penises-to-Tap-the-Female-039-s-Vagina-48704.shtml

[Oolon Colluphid]

Oh, some arachnids drop their copulatory organs at the drop of a hat. There's one genus, Tidarren, which I've mentioned before elsewhere. Having two pedipalps (effectively, spider penises, though they're located on their heads -- they're modified mouthparts) slows the males down when they're out looking for a mate. So, he spins a bit of web, plants one of his parts in it, and twists it off.

[HinduWoman]

The family values displayed by the Designer is just amazing!