New theory suggests female orgasms are an evolutionary leftover
The human body is a mysterious little organism. Why do men have nipples? What’s the deal with pinky toes? And does the female orgasm serve a purpose other than pleasure?
Surveys suggest only one-third of women are regularly fully aroused during intercourse. And although poor partner performance, psychological issues, or physiological shortfalls are often cited as the reason, two evolutionary biologists now offer a provocative new explanation.
In a paper they argue that female orgasm is an evolutionary holdover from an ancient system, seen in some other mammals, in which intercourse stimulated important hormonal surges that drive ovulation.
Humans and other primates don’t need intercourse to trigger ovulation—they evolved to a point where it happens on its own—but the hormonal changes accompanying intercourse persist and fuel the orgasms that make sex more enjoyable, the biologists hypothesize. And because those hormonal surges no longer confer a biological advantage, orgasms during intercourse may be lost in some women.
Paper:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jez.b.22690/abstract
Article:
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/08/new-theory-suggests-female-orgasms-are-evolutionary-leftover
#research #ovulation #orgasm #reproduction #evolution
Well that's a bummer
ReplyDeleteI'm skeptical. Other studies have showed an increase in the chance of conception when a woman orgasms during sex.
ReplyDeleteAlso along this same line of thinking, there would be no reason for male orgasm to be pleasurable as men don't need the testosterone release to replenish sperm.
#allorgasmsmatter
ReplyDeleteI'm with Bryce Etheridge. More specifically, in Mary Roach's book "Bonk" she cites a fairly large number of european studies which strongly indicate that female pigs have significantly more piglets when they orgasm, even when it's during artificial insemination. It's harder to quantify in humans, but it appears to be pretty definitive in animals that have fairly large number of offspring per insemination event.
ReplyDeleteJohn Bump Thanks for the reference. I didn't have time this morning to go find a source.
ReplyDeleteAntenna Wilde I think you're point is an indirect argument that pleasure is an evolutionary advantage.