It is a subject which can give rise to a smile, but which is nevertheless the subject of very serious scientific research. Biologist and researcher at the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research), Emmanuelle Pouydebat has just published a book on the sexuality of animals entitled animal sex. Sunday evening on Europe 1, the scientist details three realities found in animals, namely the presence of a penis in some birds, the existence of orgasms and homosexuality.
“3% of birds have a penis”
Citing the example of a male that she was able to study at the Thoiry zoo, in Yvelines, Emmanuelle Pouydebat recalls that the ostrich “is one of the rare birds to have a penis”. “It is an evolutionary mystery this story of the penis in birds, we do not know why there are only 3% who have it”, she underlines. Concerning the ostrich, it is an “erectile penis, so it is not like the cloacal kiss, cloaca against cloaca, which one meets in most birds”, in particular for reproduction, adds t -she.
The researcher cites another “hallucinating” example, that of the duck “who has a corkscrew penis”. This does not prevent Emmanuelle Pouydebat from defending “a fascinating subject”, even “extremely serious and complex” about “coevolutions”. “There are coevolutions, that is to say, evolutions of the male organs according to the female genitalia which are absolutely incredible. We do not really know in what order that took place but it is absolutely fascinating” , she explains.
Emmanuelle Pouydebat gives another example, that “of the vaginas of certain females who suffered harassment, rape, and who developed vaginas with valves, labyrinth, to defend themselves and select the sperm of the partners”.
Animal homosexuality in a very large number of species
Homosexuality in animals concerns, for example, zebras, giraffes, gazelles, sheep, rats, or even chimpanzees. Emmanuelle Pouydebat evokes “more than 1,000 species” concerned, but “certainly much more”. “It’s quite common, bisexuality even more,” she says. “It exists enormously in birds and it is true that there are also cases of homoparental couples in animals, I am thinking for example of black swans.”
Animal sexuality is not only related to reproduction, but also to pleasure
In the animal world, pleasure does exist, without necessarily there being reproduction. “Masturbation exists, cunnilingus too and there is evidence of orgasms in the animal world. It is very serious, in some species we have quantified the heart rate, uterine contradictions, ultrasound communications, which are linked to pleasure, and the release of endorphin and opioids which are molecules that will also be found in humans at the time of orgasm “, concludes the researcher.
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