Dr. Tiana Pirtle

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yes, the pup has to rip through the pseudopenis.

Yes, the pup has to rip through the pseudopenis.

Wow. Okay. After the break, we're going to learn about one creature that has a genital shield. I think it's my favorite, actually. It's coming up.

Wow. Okay. After the break, we're going to learn about one creature that has a genital shield. I think it's my favorite, actually. It's coming up.

Welcome back. Today on the show, Dr. Tiana Purtle is walking us through vaginas of the animal kingdom. It's really an evolutionary battle between both vaginas and penises, which when you think about evolution, that is how obviously it worked, right? It doesn't really make sense that only one would be evolving.

Welcome back. Today on the show, Dr. Tiana Purtle is walking us through vaginas of the animal kingdom. It's really an evolutionary battle between both vaginas and penises, which when you think about evolution, that is how obviously it worked, right? It doesn't really make sense that only one would be evolving.

Yeah, and also it makes sense that they wouldn't necessarily be evolving in the same direction together always. Obviously, both males and females want to reproduce, but females have to invest a bit more resources, time, and energy into reproduction relative to males. And that's where you get the sexual conflict where the males and the females' interests don't always align. So...

Yeah, and also it makes sense that they wouldn't necessarily be evolving in the same direction together always. Obviously, both males and females want to reproduce, but females have to invest a bit more resources, time, and energy into reproduction relative to males. And that's where you get the sexual conflict where the males and the females' interests don't always align. So...

That's why you get some of these wild tactics and different physiology, morphology and behaviors. So tell me how the water strider accomplishes it. The water strider is a great strider. story of kind of sexual conflict, evolutionary arms race in action. So water strutters are bugs that sit on top of the ponds and water. The females have these genital shields.

That's why you get some of these wild tactics and different physiology, morphology and behaviors. So tell me how the water strider accomplishes it. The water strider is a great strider. story of kind of sexual conflict, evolutionary arms race in action. So water strutters are bugs that sit on top of the ponds and water. The females have these genital shields.

So, and I do have a model of this, but unfortunately didn't make it on the... You can't fly with that sort of weaponry. But she's got her ovipositor that sits inside of her abdomen. Mm-hmm. And then the ovipositor... The ovipositor where the eggs go. Yay. And if she wants to mate, she will... push it out, and it kind of opens, and the male can deliver the sperm.

So, and I do have a model of this, but unfortunately didn't make it on the... You can't fly with that sort of weaponry. But she's got her ovipositor that sits inside of her abdomen. Mm-hmm. And then the ovipositor... The ovipositor where the eggs go. Yay. And if she wants to mate, she will... push it out, and it kind of opens, and the male can deliver the sperm.

But if it's in this position, there's no chance the male gets to mate with her.

But if it's in this position, there's no chance the male gets to mate with her.

If it's closed up, it's closed.

If it's closed up, it's closed.

So the female has evolved this morphology that gives her full control over who's mating with her. She has full say over who's going to father her offspring. But the males have evolved this counter strategy. And historically, it would have been described the other way around. Yeah.

So the female has evolved this morphology that gives her full control over who's mating with her. She has full say over who's going to father her offspring. But the males have evolved this counter strategy. And historically, it would have been described the other way around. Yeah.