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February 02, 2006
New species of flatworm fences with its penis










Apparently some Australian scientists have discovered a new species of flatworm that fences with its penis. Okay, "fencing" may be a slight anthropomorphism -- perhaps a more accurate phrasing would be "a species of flatworm that does incredibly weird things with its penis."

From a story in the Sydney Morning Herald:

The new flatworms are all hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female parts. To reproduce they try to stab each other with their genitals. The first to penetrate inserts sperm and then goes on to spar with another flatworm, while the "loser" lays and broods the eggs.

Heh. Ah, the "loser" in the sexual conquest -- talk about your anthropomorphizations.


(Thanks to John T. Unger for this one!)

Posted by Clive Thompson at February 02, 2006 04:25 PM

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Comments

I don't think it's anthropomorphization so much as a victory in the evolutionary sense: the victor's DNA goes into at least one more brood, while the loser's goes only into this one (for the current mating cycle). The victor is more reproductively successful.

Posted by: Carl Manaster [TypeKey Profile Page] at February 3, 2006 1:38 AM

Sure, that's certainly true in evolutionary terms!

Posted by: Clive [TypeKey Profile Page] at February 3, 2006 2:35 AM

This explains a lot about the Three Musketeers...

Posted by: Pork Chop [TypeKey Profile Page] at February 3, 2006 8:56 AM

Well, you can see how one would be inclined to brood after losing a fencing match with one's penis.

Posted by: Stephen Stralka [TypeKey Profile Page] at February 3, 2006 3:55 PM

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