Findings of a recently published study have shown that the structure found in female dolphins similar to the clitoris that's positioned in their bottlenose's vaginal entrance has lots of sensory nerves, as well as erectile bodies.
Indeed, female dolphins, as specified in a SciTechDaily report, are characterized to have a functional clitoris that "has many features to suggest" that it works to offer pleasure to females.
For quite some time now, scientists have been aware that dolphins are extremely social. They engage in sexual activities throughout the year as a way of duplicating and retaining social ties.
It had also been noted that female dolphins have clitoris in the vagina in an area that would produce "stimulation during copulation likely."
More so, there have also been reports of dolphin females rubbing each other's clitorises using their flippers, flukes, and snouts.
The Notion of Functional Clitoris in Dolphins
In this new research published in Current Biology, Patricia Brennan, a Massachusetts-based Mount Holyoke College assistant professor of biological sciences, together with her colleagues, decided to watch more closely the dolphin clitoris. They looked quite carefully at 11 female dolphins' clitorises, those that died naturally.
The researchers studied them for the existence, shape, presence, and configuration of erectile bodies. Moe so, they looked at the manner nerve fibers ran through the tissues. What the study authors saw backs the notion of a functional clitoris in dolphins.
She added, akin to the human clitoris, these aquatic animals' clitoris comprises large areas of erectile tissue filling up with blood. The shape of such tissue changes as animals turn adults, continued Brennan, suggesting that it obtains a functional role.
The research further suggests that the clitoris body has immense nerves and bountiful free nerve endings just beneath the skin, which is much slimmer than in the adjacent skin.
Similarity with Humans
The researchers also discovered that genital corpuscles similar to those formerly described in the human clitoris, as well as in the tip of the penis, are identified to be involved in the pleasure reaction.
In general, Brennan explained, the erectile bodies in dolphins are astonishingly akin to the shape of the erectile bodies existing in humans.
The assistant professor also said since the dolphins' entire pelvis is quite different from humans, it was astonishing to see the similarity of shapes, as specified in a similar Phys.org report.
Furthermore, the nerves' size in the clitoris body was described to be surprising. Some were larger in diameter which was half in millimeter.
Brennan also explained that curiosity about dolphins came through them as they studied the vaginal evolution among the dolphins.
Each time they dissected an animal vagina, she continued, they would find such a massive clitoris. They were curious as well if anyone had investigated it in detail to find out if it functioned just like the human clitoris.
Commenting on their study, Brennan said, they knew that dolphins engage in sexual activity not only for reproduction but for the solidifying of social ties, as well, therefore, it appeared possible that the clitoris could be functional.
Related information about the dolphin clitoris is shown on Breaking Meta News's YouTube video below:
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