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Asterisks & Anomalies

Educational and research site of academic research related to the fantastical, from sci-fi to fantasy, from horror to action/adventure, from cryptozoology to conspiracies. We are interested in any media these research forms may address: from novels and short stories to poems, from social media to fanfiction, from films to streaming serials, from tabletop games to video games.

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Clair Mallace

Sex Role Reversal

Human beings created gender and nature laughed in their face

29 April 2024

When it comes to the animal kingdom, reproductive methods vary in shape, size, and dynamic. For the longest time there had been a consensus amongst biologists that males are usually the face of sexual selection due to their high gamete turnover rate. This leads to rapid evolution and more diverse male genitalia. In short, biologically male animals' reproductive organs generally include complex appendages used to hold onto the females during copulation. However, when it comes to Neotrogla, an insect found in caves in Brazil, the sex roles are completely reversed. The female insect is the one who has the elaborate sexual appendage that penetrates and links onto the male. The appendage functions much like a straw to collect the ejaculation of the male insect. This is theorized to be caused by female-led sexual selection as opposed to male—which has yet to be documented in any other species. It would be interesting to research whether this dynamic has appeared in any science fiction or fantasy matriarchal society yet, and if not, to watch for when it might make an appearance.

Source

Current Biology

Ferreira, Rodrigo L. et al. “Female Penis, Male Vagina, and Their Correlated Evolution in a Cave Insect.” Current Biology, vol. 24, no. 9, 5 May 2014, pp. 1006-1010