Dr. Tiana Pirtle
👤 PersonAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
Yeah, it's a great example of, you know, when you only look at half the story, you only get half the story.
Yeah, it's a great example of, you know, when you only look at half the story, you only get half the story.
It's funny, I'm still hearing that males are the coercive, violent ones.
It's funny, I'm still hearing that males are the coercive, violent ones.
Yes. Yes. So it's not an untrue storyline, but there's females like hyenas are a great example of a female that kind of flips that story. So female hyenas are bigger, more aggressive, dominate the society. And they also have these giant eight-inch long clitorises that work like a pseudopenis. They look exactly like the male's penis. They even have fused labia that look like testicles. Wow.
Yes. Yes. So it's not an untrue storyline, but there's females like hyenas are a great example of a female that kind of flips that story. So female hyenas are bigger, more aggressive, dominate the society. And they also have these giant eight-inch long clitorises that work like a pseudopenis. They look exactly like the male's penis. They even have fused labia that look like testicles. Wow.
Oh, wow. But there's no sperm inside. No, no, no. That's just the fused labia. It looks like it. And for a long time, actually, scientists really struggled to figure out what was going on with hyenas because they thought there were only males out there. But the female genitalia looks remarkably like the male. And they use these pseudopenises in dominance displays, greeting rituals.
Oh, wow. But there's no sperm inside. No, no, no. That's just the fused labia. It looks like it. And for a long time, actually, scientists really struggled to figure out what was going on with hyenas because they thought there were only males out there. But the female genitalia looks remarkably like the male. And they use these pseudopenises in dominance displays, greeting rituals.
But it also gives them a very high degree over who's mating with them. It's like two socks, I guess, trying to push into each other. If they're full, they don't go in. So basically the female has to allow the male to mate with her. It's like I've heard it described as kind of like inverting a sock, like gets pushed and she relaxes it and the penis gets to push in there. Oh, wow.
But it also gives them a very high degree over who's mating with them. It's like two socks, I guess, trying to push into each other. If they're full, they don't go in. So basically the female has to allow the male to mate with her. It's like I've heard it described as kind of like inverting a sock, like gets pushed and she relaxes it and the penis gets to push in there. Oh, wow.
But it gives her full control over what's going on. Is there a downside to this amazing? Funny you say that.
But it gives her full control over what's going on. Is there a downside to this amazing? Funny you say that.
This amazing control does come at a cost. So they'll urinate through the pseudopenis. They use it in their dominance displays. They make through it. But they also have to give birth through it. And it's been described as pushing a cantaloupe through a garden hose.
This amazing control does come at a cost. So they'll urinate through the pseudopenis. They use it in their dominance displays. They make through it. But they also have to give birth through it. And it's been described as pushing a cantaloupe through a garden hose.