8/4/2016

ScientistsPonderanEvolutionaryMystery:TheFemaleOrgasmTheNewYorkTimes

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SCIENCE

ScientistsPonderanEvolutionary
Mystery:TheFemaleOrgasm
CarlZimmer
MATTER

AUG.1,2016

Aneyeisforseeing,anoseisforsmelling.Manyaspectsofthehumanbodyhave
obviouspurposes.
Butsomedefyeasyexplanation.Forbiologists,fewphenomenaareas
mysteriousasthefemaleorgasm.
Whileorgasmshaveanimportantroleinawomansintimaterelationships,
theevolutionaryrootsoftheexperienceacombinationofmusclecontractions,
hormonerelease,andintensepleasurehavebeendifficulttouncover.
Fordecades,researchershaveputforwardtheories,butnonearewidely
accepted.Nowtwoevolutionarybiologistshavejoinedthefray,offeringanew
wayofthinkingaboutthefemaleorgasmbasedonareconstructionofitsancient
history.
OnMonday,inTheJournalofExperimentalZoology,theauthorsconclude
thattheresponseoriginatedinmammalsmorethan150millionyearsagoasa
waytoreleaseeggstobefertilizedaftersex.
Untilnow,fewscientistshaveinvestigatedthebiologyofdistantlyrelated
animalsforcluestothemystery.

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ScientistsPonderanEvolutionaryMystery:TheFemaleOrgasmTheNewYorkTimes

Fororgasms,wekeptitreservedforhumansandprimates,saidMihaela
Pavlicev,anevolutionarybiologistatUniversityofCincinnatiCollegeofMedicine
andanauthorofthenewpaper.Wedidntlooktootherspeciestodigdeeper
andlookfortheorigin.
Themaleorgasmhasnevercausedmuchofastiramongevolutionary
biologists.Thepleasureispreciselylinkedtoejaculation,themostimportantstep
inpassingonamalesgenestothenextgeneration.Thatpleasureencourages
mentodelivermoresperm,whichisevolutionarilyadvantageous.
Forwomen,theevolutionarypathishardertofigureout.Themuscle
contractionsthatoccurduringanorgasmarenotessentialforawomanto
becomepregnant.Andwhilemostmencanexperienceanorgasmduringsex,its
lessreliableforwomen.
Ina2010survey,35.6percentofwomensaidthattheyhadnthadanorgasm
themostrecenttimetheyhadsex.Partofthereasonforthisisanatomy:the
clitorisisphysicallyseparatedfromthevagina.
Still,anumberofscientistssuspectthatthefemaleorgasmservessome
biologicalfunctionfavoredbynaturalselection.Theyjustneedtofigureoutwhat
itis.
Mygutinstinctisthatsomethingthatmatterssomuchatanemotionallevel
theintensepleasureoforgasmwouldseemtohavereproductive
consequences,saidDavidA.Puts,anevolutionaryanthropologistat
PennsylvaniaStateUniversity.
Manyhypotheseshavebeenputforward.Dr.Putsandhiscolleagueshave
carriedoutstudiestotestthepossibilitythatorgasmsincreasetheoddsthata
womanseggsarefertilizedbyageneticallyattractivemale.
ElisabethA.Lloyd,aphilosopheratIndianaUniversity,isntbuyingit.In
2005,shepublishedabookcalledTheCaseoftheFemaleOrgasm,inwhichshe
reviewed18publishedtheoriesaboutitsfunction.
Nonehadstrongevidenceinitsfavor,sheconcluded,andmanywere
underminedbyotherfindingsabouthumansexuality.Yearsoffurtherresearch
haveonlystrengthenedherskepticism.

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ScientistsPonderanEvolutionaryMystery:TheFemaleOrgasmTheNewYorkTimes

Dr.Lloydthinksthebestexplanationforthefemaleorgasmisthatithasnt
servedanyevolutionarypurposeatall.Itsnothingmorethanthebyproductof
thedevelopmentofthemaleorgasm.Theorgasmistowomen,shebelieves,as
nipplesaretomen.
ButnowDr.Pavlicevandhercolleague,GnterP.WagnerofYaleUniversity,
aremakingthecasethatthehumanfemaleorgasmhasadeepevolutionary
historythatreachesbacktoearlymammals.
Theybeganbygettingbetteracquaintedwiththesexlivesofotheranimals,
poringthroughobscureoldjournalstogatherinformationonspeciesranging
fromaardvarkstokoalas.
Theynotedthatmanyfemalemammalsreleaseoxytocinandprolactin
duringsexthehormonesreleasedbywomenduringorgasms.Whatsmore,in
manyofthosespecies,femalesusearadicallydifferentkindofreproduction.
Whilewomenreleaseaneggeachmonth,otherfemalemammals,suchas
rabbitsandcamels,releaseaneggonlyaftermatingwithamale.
Ovulatorycyclesevolvedinonlyafewlineagesofmammals,includingour
own,Dr.PavlicevandDr.Wagnerfound.Beforethen,ourancientmammal
ancestorsoriginallyreliedonovulationtriggeredbysexwithamale.
Thoseearlymammalsdevelopedaclitorisinsidethevagina.Onlyin
mammalsthatevolvedovulatorycyclesdidtheclitorismoveaway.Basedon
thesefindings,Dr.PavlicevandDr.Wagnerarguethatthefemaleorgasmfirst
evolvedasareflextohelpfemalesbecomepregnant.
Whenearlymammalsmated,theclitoriscouldsendsignalstothebrain,
triggeringhormonesthatreleasedanegg.Oncetheeggbecamefertilized,the
hormonesmayhavehelpedensureitbecameimplantedintheuterus.
Thisarrangementhasworkedwellformammalsthatrarelyencountermales.
Ithelpsfemalesmakethemostofeachmating.
Buteventuallysomemammals,includingprimateslikeus,startedspending
theirlivesinsocialgroups.Femaleshadaccesstoregularsexwithmales,and
orgasmasanovulatorymechanismwasnolongersouseful.Ourfemaleforebears
insteadevolvedanewsystem:releasingeggsinaregularcycle.

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ScientistsPonderanEvolutionaryMystery:TheFemaleOrgasmTheNewYorkTimes

Astheoriginalpurposeoftheorgasmwaslost,theclitorismovedawayfrom
itsoriginalposition.Dr.Wagnerspeculatedthatthisshiftwaspartofevolutions
dismantlingofasensorsystem:Youdontwanttohavetheoldsignalsending
noiseatthewrongtime,hesaid.
Basically,wedontknowwhythishappened,headded.Butacross
mammalianspecies,itsjustaverystrongevolutionarypattern.
Dr.LloydandDr.Putswelcomedthenewstudyasaprovocativeadditionto
thedebateoverthefemaleorgasms.
Imprettyexcitedthatitsbeingpublished,Dr.Lloydsaid,becausepeople
aregoingtostarttalkingaboutfemaleorgasmsandgettingafreshlookathow
muchwedontknowaboutfemaleorgasms,andthinkinghardaboutwhatwe
needtoknow.
Thenewtheorymayshedlightonhowthehumanfemaleorgasmfirst
evolved,butDr.PavlicevandDr.Wagnersaidthatitdoesntsettlethedebate
aboutitscurrentroleinwomen.Alldirectionsareopen,Dr.Wagnersaid.
Dr.Wagnersaidthatdecipheringthehistoryofthefemaleorgasmmight
improvereproductivemedicine.
Ithinkyourelookingatthewholewomansreproductivesystemalittle
differentlywhenyouhaveamodelforhowitmighthaveevolved,hesaid.
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AversionofthisarticleappearsinprintonAugust2,2016,onpageD3oftheNewYorkeditionwith
theheadline:IntheBedroom,anEvolutionaryMystery.

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