interestrateripoff Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22803344 New research sheds light on why some birds have lost their peni5e5 over the course of evolution.Land fowl, such as chickens, have normally developing peni5es as early embryos, but only have rudimentary organs as adults. A study in Current Biology shows that these birds initiate a genetic "programme" during development that stops the budding peni5es from growing. The loss of the organ could have given hens more control over reproduction. Co-author Dr Martin Cohn, from the University of Florida in Gainesville, said: "Our discovery shows that reduction of the peni5 during bird evolution occurred by activation of a normal mechanism of programmed cell death in a new location, the tip of the emerging peni5." .. The study could also provide clues to other evolutionary conundrums, such as how snakes lost their limbs. And it might yield some potential answers to medical questions, say the researchers. Why would this give you more control over reproduction? What medical questions would those be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveinHope Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 How and maybe, why The results suggest that genital growth in birds is controlled by a common programme that has been customized by evolutionary tweaks in Bmp signalling, the authors say.But the data do not explain why chickens shed their penises. Cohn [an author of the study] suggests that phalluses may have been lost as a secondary consequence of evolution in other body parts such as limbs and teeth, the development of which is also affected by Bmp proteins. Bob Montgomerie, an evolutionary biologist at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, disagrees. He and others have suggested that because the cloacal kiss requires cooperation between willing partners, female chickens and other birds may have selected males with smaller penises in part to escape forced copulation. Over time, that preference would have reshaped the genitalia of male birds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porca misèria Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 Shouldn't this be a Just So story? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StainlessSteelCat Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22803344 Why would this give you more control over reproduction? Requires more cooperation between the two genders to get things to work I guess. A male bird cannot force themselves on the hen. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22803344 What medical questions would those be? Answered in the article. Lots of birth defects in genitals. Perhaps this gene responsible for the loss of the relevant parts in chickens is also in humans. If so, perhaps its expression can be controlled via drugs or gene therapy. Perhaps a grow it big cream really could be produced Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 I've seen ducks going at it ! I assumed one of them had a willy! Can any of our local ornithologists/biologist explain this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveinHope Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 I've seen ducks going at it ! I assumed one of them had a willy! Can any of our local ornithologists/biologist explain this? As I imagine you know, duck genitalia design is a thing to behold Discover it here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jane58 Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 As I imagine you know, duck genitalia design is a thing to behold Discover it here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 I am now educated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidg Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 Requires more cooperation between the two genders to get things to work I guess. A male bird cannot force themselves on the hen. According to reports in the French press over the last few days disgraced banker's chum Dominique Strauss Kahn has a very small ***** but that has never stopped him forcing himself on anything in a skirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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