How do we really differ from monkeys (6 photos). Sex in humans and monkeys: size really does matter

People have made genitals such a taboo subject that even mentioning them would make someone blush. However, animals are friendly with their genitals - and develop them in different directions. Size is not very important for them, but explosions, spikes and hypodermic injections are the opposite.

10. Sea Slug Hypodermic Penis

The colorful sea slug Siphopteron quadrispinosum has a penis that works much like a hypodermic syringe. The appendage, equipped with several large hooks at the base and a pair of needles at the tip, allows it to firmly attach to a female (female is a big word - sea slugs are actually hermaphrodites) and pierce her, injecting prostate juice. Having such a horribly decorated penis is of course harmful to their mates, but researchers believe that aggressive mating actually increases the chance of reproduction and fertility.
Photo by Ayami Sekizawa

9. Double shark penises

Apparently, one penis is not enough for sharks. They definitely need two penises at once. Each organ is actually coiled cartilage that tenses when excited. So it's a functional penis, but with a twist. Once the penis is inserted into the partner, it opens like an umbrella in order to tie the sharks together. Oh, did we mention that the penis also has spurs? Apparently sharks like it rough.

Despite the fact that sharks have two penises, they only use one at a time, which is why scientists think that the second one may serve as a spare one in case of “malfunctions”. Most guys who used to get drunk now think a spare penis is a good idea.

8. Turtles have truly huge penises.

Sea and land turtles are “rich” where they need to be. When aroused, a turtle's penis can increase by 50% in length, 75% in girth and 10% in depth. In most turtles, the fully erect organ reaches or even exceeds half the length of their body. So, when you see a two-meter turtle, remember that its penis can reach one and a half meters. It is believed that turtles carry such a “sword” both for sexual purposes and for protection and intimidation. In this case, it worked - just the thought of it is already scary.

7. Polar bears' genitalia are shrinking

Increasing pollution in the Arctic is taking its toll on polar bears, who are feeling the effects of pollution in places few would like. Polar bears already reproduce very poorly - they have a very low libido, and it takes many years to reach sexual maturity. The problem of mysteriously shrinking genitals is likely to make matters worse, and scientists fear polar bears will lose their desire to reproduce entirely.

6. Four-headed echidna penis

Echidnas, like platypuses, are members of the order Monotreme, which means they are egg-laying mammals. As if that weren't enough to call them weird, they also have four penis heads. This is confusing to biologists, since female echidnas only have two vaginal openings (in total, hehe), but some believe that the echidna's amazing organ is a "double shotgun" evolved to increase the chances of successful fertilization through a simple increase in volume.

5. Paddlers' penises can reach 100 decibels

Grebes, small two-millimeter aquatic insects, can sing using their penises. How? They use a process called stridulation, which involves rubbing two textured surfaces to create sound. Crickets do this with their legs, but paddlers prefer to use other parts of their body.

Their penis sounds, by the way, reach 100 decibels. It's the equivalent of sitting front row at an orchestral concert and they do it with their penis. Their chants can be heard by passersby outside the water, and the sounds underwater are as loud as a passing freight train.

4. The penises of field mice reach half their body in length.

The humble field mouse does not come to mind when one thinks of “well-equipped” animals, which is wrong - after all, they have the largest (in proportion to body) penis of any rodent. The field mouse grows up to 12.5 centimeters in length, and their penis reaches 8 centimeters, which is more than half the length of their body. Impressive for a mouse, right? So if someone jokes that you have a penis like a mouse, thank them for the compliment.

And by the way, they didn't evolve this way just to look like tough stallions: rodents that aren't very picky about their mates tend to have longer average penis lengths to increase their chances of successful reproduction.

3. Fruit fly sperm are 20 times longer than their body.

Fruit flies are one of the smallest, simplest and most annoying creatures on Earth, often viewed as household pests or something to study in biology classes. However, these invertebrate animals are hiding a big secret - a "20 times larger body" secret.

Drosophila are a type of fruit fly that produces sperm that are 5 centimeters long. Considering that the fly itself reaches a length of 0.25 centimeters, the size of the sperm is impressive. Researchers believe that sperm have reached this strange length in order to successfully maneuver through the complex reproductive system of females, which produces chemicals to neutralize sperm. For comparison: a two-meter man would have 40 meters of sperm.

2. Hooked penis of the common mosquitofish

Common mosquitofish live in Mexico. Males reach a length of almost 4 centimeters, and females 5 centimeters. Females have evolved a door-latch-like mechanism above their genital pores, allowing them to block the entrance to unwanted suitors. To overcome this defense, males have developed a fearsome penis with 4 spines on it, which allows them to successfully impregnate females. Forget what we said about sharks earlier, it's actually the gambusia that likes it rough.

1. The Wasp Spider Has Explosive Genitals

Male wasp spiders actually do not have a penis. Instead, they use a web to create a ball of sperm, which they insert into the female with their pedipalps (small limbs located near the spider's mouth openings). Because spiders only get one chance to mate with a female, they have evolved a strange process to ensure that their genes reach her egg first: they break off their modified genitals inside the female in order to prevent other males from doing so. After this, the females usually eat the male.

Once the genitals are in the female, it becomes very difficult for other males to court her. Scientists noticed that subsequent mating attempts by other males lasted half as long and were usually unsuccessful. At least they won't be eaten if the spider isn't hungry, of course.

For those concerned about the size of their penis, Australian biologist Darren Cournot of the University of New South Wales is reassured by the fact that, no matter how small it appears, the human penis is one of the largest of any primate in the world. An evolutionary biologist compared the size of human genitals with those of gorillas and apes to find out why there is such a divergence between species.

The scientist concludes that the human penis may have grown to such a large size in order to be more visible to potential partners. In addition, this could be due to upright walking. Moreover, gorillas have small penises and small testicles, while chimpanzees have average penises and large testicles. In comparison, a person has the longest penis and average testicles. According to Darren Cournot, the size of the genitals in primates is determined by competition - to attract females and fertilize, chimpanzees have larger testicles, which produce more sperm.

The scientist adds that the differences do not end there. The chimpanzee penis has keratin spines designed to temporarily injure the female during mating, to temporarily deter her from mating with other males. A 2011 study by scientists at Stanford University in California found evidence that early humans also once had spines on their penises, but they eventually evolved to be smooth. Scientists have discovered a molecular mechanism that may explain why we have lost some of the non-coding DNA responsible for turning on certain genes that are active in animals. It was these genes that were “lost” during evolution that were responsible for the formation of special spines that cover the penises of some mammals. According to scientists, the absence of such spines on the human penis can be explained by the development of monogamous relationships necessary for the joint raising of offspring.

Experts note that there are a lot of unsolved questions related to human evolution, and science has yet to find answers to them.

Humans and apes are approximately 98 percent genetically similar, but even the external differences between them are more than obvious. Monkeys hear, see differently and physically develop faster.

Many features that distinguish humans from apes are immediately noticeable. For example, upright walking. Despite the fact that gorillas are quite capable of moving on their hind legs, this is an unnatural process for them. For humans, the convenience of moving in an upright position is provided by a flexible lumbar deflection, arched foot and long straight legs, which is lacking in monkeys. But there are distinctive features between man and monkey that only zoologists can tell about. For example, experts note that some of the characteristics make a person closer to marine mammals than to primates - these are a thick layer of fat and skin rigidly attached to the muscular frame. There are significant differences in the vocal capabilities of humans and monkeys. Thus, our larynx occupies a much lower position in relation to the mouth than that of any other primate species. The resulting common “tube” provides a person with exceptional speech resonator capabilities.

Brain

The volume of the human brain is almost three times larger than the brain of a monkey - 1600 and 600 cm3, which gives us an advantage in the development of mental abilities. The monkey brain lacks the speech centers and association areas that humans have. This gave rise to not only our first signaling system (conditioned and unconditioned reflexes), but also the second, responsible for speech forms of communication. But more recently, British scientists have discovered a much more noticeable feature in the human brain that is missing in the monkey brain: the lateral frontal pole of the prefrontal cortex. He is responsible for strategic planning, task differentiation and decision making.

Hearing

Human hearing is particularly sensitive to the perception of sound frequencies - in the range of approximately 20 to 20,000 Hz. But some monkeys have a greater ability to distinguish between frequencies than humans. For example, Philippine tarsiers can hear sounds with frequencies up to 90,000 Hz. True, the selective ability of human auditory neurons, which allow us to perceive differences in sounds that differ by 3-6 Hz, is higher than that of monkeys. Moreover, people have a unique ability to relate sounds to each other. However, monkeys can also perceive a series of repeated sounds of different pitches, but if this series is shifted up or down several tones (change the tonality), then the melodic pattern will be unrecognizable to the animals. It is not difficult for a person to guess the same sequence of sounds in different keys.

Childhood

Newborn children are absolutely helpless and completely dependent on their parents, while baby monkeys can already hang and move from place to place. Unlike apes, humans need a much longer time to mature. So, for example, a female gorilla reaches sexual maturity by the age of 8, given that her gestation period is almost the same as that of a woman. Newborn children, unlike baby monkeys, have much less developed instincts - a person acquires most life skills during the learning process. It is important to note that a person is formed in the process of direct communication with his own kind, while a monkey is born with an already established form of its existence.

Sexuality

Due to innate instincts, a male monkey is always able to recognize when a female is ovulating. Humans lack this ability. But there is a more significant difference between people and monkeys: this is the occurrence of menopause in humans. The only exception in the animal world is the black dolphin. Humans and apes also differ in the structure of their genital organs. Thus, not a single ape has a hymen. On the other hand, the male genital organ of any primate contains a grooved bone (cartilage), which is absent in humans. There is another characteristic feature regarding sexual behavior. Face-to-face sexual contact, so popular among humans, is unnatural for monkeys.

Genetics

Geneticist Steve Jones once noted that “50% of human DNA is similar to bananas, but that doesn’t mean we’re half bananas, either from head to waist or from waist to toe.” The same can be said when comparing a person with a monkey. The minimal difference in the genotype of humans and monkeys - approximately 2% - nevertheless creates a huge gap between the species. The difference includes about 150 million unique nucleotides, which contain about 50 million individual mutation events. Such changes, according to scientists, cannot be achieved even on an evolutionary time scale of 250 thousand generations, which once again refutes the theory of human origins from higher primates. There are also significant differences between humans and apes in the set of chromosomes: while we have 46, gorillas and chimpanzees have 48. Moreover, human chromosomes contain genes that are absent in chimpanzees, which reflects the difference between the immune system of humans and animals. Another interesting statement by geneticists is that the human Y chromosome differs from a similar chimpanzee chromosome as much as it differs from the chicken Y chromosome. There is also a difference in the size of the genes. When comparing the DNA of humans and chimpanzees, it was found that the monkey genome is 12% larger than the human genome. And the difference in the expression of human and monkey genes in the cerebral cortex was 17.4%. A genetic study by scientists in London has revealed a possible reason why monkeys are unable to speak. So they determined that the FOXP2 gene plays an important role in the formation of the speech apparatus in humans. Geneticists decided on a desperate experiment and introduced the FOXP2 gene into chimpanzees, in the hope that the monkey would speak. But nothing like this happened - the area responsible for speech functions in humans regulates the vestibular apparatus in chimpanzees. The ability to climb trees during evolution turned out to be much more important for the monkey than the development of verbal communication skills.

Humans and apes are approximately 98 percent genetically similar, but even the external differences between them are more than obvious. Monkeys hear, see differently and physically develop faster.

Structure

But there are distinctive features between man and monkey that only zoologists can tell about. For example, experts note that some of the characteristics make a person closer to marine mammals than to primates - these are a thick layer of fat and skin rigidly attached to the muscular frame.
There are significant differences in the vocal capabilities of humans and monkeys. Thus, our larynx occupies a much lower position in relation to the mouth than that of any other primate species. The resulting common “tube” provides a person with exceptional speech resonator capabilities.

Brain

The volume of the human brain is almost three times larger than the brain of a monkey - 1600 and 600 cm3, which gives us an advantage in the development of mental abilities. The monkey brain lacks the speech centers and association areas that humans have. This gave rise to not only our first signaling system (conditioned and unconditioned reflexes), but also the second, responsible for speech forms of communication.
But more recently, British scientists have discovered a much more noticeable feature in the human brain that is missing in the monkey brain: the lateral frontal pole of the prefrontal cortex. He is responsible for strategic planning, task differentiation and decision making.

Hearing

True, the selective ability of human auditory neurons, which allow us to perceive differences in sounds that differ by 3-6 Hz, is higher than that of monkeys. Moreover, people have a unique ability to relate sounds to each other.

However, monkeys can also perceive a series of repeated sounds of different pitches, but if this series is shifted up or down several tones (change the tonality), then the melodic pattern will be unrecognizable to the animals. It is not difficult for a person to guess the same sequence of sounds in different keys.

Childhood

Newborn children, unlike baby monkeys, have much less developed instincts - a person acquires most life skills during the learning process. It is important to note that a person is formed in the process of direct communication with his own kind, while a monkey is born with an already established form of its existence.

Sexuality

Due to innate instincts, a male monkey is always able to recognize when a female is ovulating. Humans lack this ability. But there is a more significant difference between people and monkeys: this is the occurrence of menopause in humans. The only exception in the animal world is the black dolphin.
Humans and apes also differ in the structure of their genital organs. Thus, not a single ape has a hymen. On the other hand, the male genital organ of any primate contains a grooved bone (cartilage), which is absent in humans. There is another characteristic feature regarding sexual behavior. Face-to-face sexual contact, so popular among humans, is unnatural for monkeys.

Genetics

There are also significant differences between humans and apes in the set of chromosomes: while we have 46, gorillas and chimpanzees have 48. Moreover, human chromosomes contain genes that are absent in chimpanzees, which reflects the difference between the immune system of humans and animals. Another interesting statement by geneticists is that the human Y chromosome differs from a similar chimpanzee chromosome as much as it differs from the chicken Y chromosome.

There is also a difference in the size of the genes. When comparing the DNA of humans and chimpanzees, it was found that the monkey genome is 12% larger than the human genome. And the difference in the expression of human and monkey genes in the cerebral cortex was 17.4%.
A genetic study by scientists in London has revealed a possible reason why monkeys are unable to speak. So they determined that the FOXP2 gene plays an important role in the formation of the speech apparatus in humans. Geneticists decided on a desperate experiment and introduced the FOXP2 gene into chimpanzees, in the hope that the monkey would speak. But nothing like this happened - the area responsible for speech functions in humans regulates the vestibular apparatus in chimpanzees. The ability to climb trees during evolution turned out to be much more important for the monkey than the development of verbal communication skills.

A zoo where great apes are bred.

There are about 30 chimpanzees there. They are an endangered species, and in three decades there will be no chimpanzees left in the wild, as well as orangutans, gorillas and other apes. Therefore, it is very important to preserve these species in captivity.
The principle of this particular zoo is that they do not touch the animals, they do not tame them. Therefore, all the monkeys in the zoo are wild, not tamed by human hands.

Thirty heads is the maximum this zoo can contain. Therefore, there is a need to regulate childbirth. Moreover, birth control must be reversible, so sterilization is not suitable.
In such a small group there is a danger of close inbreeding, which can lead to genetic disorders in the offspring. Mostly females give birth to their children from the leader. Therefore, in a few years it may turn out that the leader will begin to impregnate his own daughters. Perhaps by then another male will become the leader, but the danger still remains.

How can you limit reproduction in chimpanzees? Birth control pills are not guaranteed because monkeys don't like them and will spit them out even if you force the pill on them.
It was decided to try to install IUDs on several females - intrauterine devices that women use.

First, a DNA analysis was done to determine which males had more offspring. For analysis, hair samples were taken from the monkeys, from which the bulbs containing DNA molecules were cut off. First, the bulb is heated, and then, with a charge of 2 thousand volts, it is passed through a special gel.

The computer program shows the results by which paternity is established.

After paternity was determined, several females were selected for the experiment.

This is what a female looks like during ovulation. Her genitals are enlarged, this tells the males that the female is ready for fertilization. From the time of ovulation, doctors calculate the period at which the IUD can be installed.

Since the zoo doctors had never performed such operations, they decided to invite a gynecologist from the antenatal clinic.

First, the monkey is given anesthesia because it is wild and cannot be made to lie still during medical procedures.

They take blood for tests.

They prepare the monkey for an ultrasound and shave its belly.

Actually an ultrasound, which is used to find out if the female is pregnant.

No pregnancy is detected, and the doctor begins a visual examination of the internal genital organs of the monkey.

Installation of the spiral.

The spiral is installed. The monkey recovers from anesthesia.

The principle of operation of the spiral: it is inserted into the uterus through the cervix, then the applicator is pulled back, and the spiral opens. This T-shaped coil prevents the uterus from returning to its normal state, causes inflammation of the lining inside the uterus, and because of this, pregnancy becomes impossible.

From the side effects of the IUD, it was found that in females under 10 years of age, in 55% of cases the IUD falls out and pregnancy occurs. In addition, most females experience some discomfort during the first mating season.