Why Human Penises Lost Their Spines (Nat'l Geographic)

[kpete]

Why Human Penises Lost Their Spines
DNA study offers clues to "impenetrable mystery" of evolution, expert says.

A closeup of primate penile spines. Image courtesy Philip Reno, Stanford University

Christine Dell'Amore
National Geographic News
Published March 9, 2011

Men have lost the DNA code that once made human penises spiny, according to a new analysis of the human genome.

Penile spines, which are still present in several modern animals, are usually small barbs of keratin—a type of hard tissue—that line the outside of the organ.

The prehistoric male enhancement existed in the common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans, which lived about six million years ago, according to the gene analysis.

But the "penile spine enhancer" code disappeared from human genes before our common ancestor split into modern humans and Neanderthals about 700,000 years ago, said study co-author Gill Bejerano, a developmental biologist at Stanford University in California.

The resthttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110309-humans-men-penises-spines-dna-genome-science/?source=link_tw20110309news-penis

[Solly Mack]

1. Newt doesn't need spines on his penis...he's got the flag.

[SpiralHawk]

21. The spines have migrated to Newtie's chickenhawk tongue

Every hypocritical RepubliChickenHawk syllable he utters has Skanky Spines of Deception.

[Solly Mack]

22. If that chick was wearing red, white, and blue Newt would mount it.

[azurnoir]

2. now that perhaps more than than anything I have ever read

makes a case for natural selection, bet it happened about the time brain size increased

[Bucky]

8. This speaks to me of intelligent design.

Cause God doesn't want his creatures thinking of "Boner" from Family Matters every time they pop a woodie.



(or thinking of Woody from Toy Story every time they bust a chubby)

[Hissyspit]

15. ...or thinking of Chubby from "Our Gang" every time they...

[Maine-ah]

29. Boner was on Growing Pains.

[Bucky]

3. Why can't they be clever & call it the Boner Bone? Not even once in the whole article!

[Kurovski]

23. It would be so much easier for me to grasp if they did.

[Bucky]

26. I mean, it's at least worth a shot.

[Kurovski]

30. I'm behind you, Bucky.

[seabeyond]

32. uh oh... watch out, bucky

teasin

[Bucky]

36. Well, I try not to get bent

out of shape by these things.

[MilesColtrane]

4. Enough about Joe Lieberman already!

[Bucky]

9. !!!

:rofl: I bow to thee, MilesColtrane!

[apocalypsehow]

5. You mean, I'm the only one? I never knew.

:shrug:

[Horse with no Name]

6. Now I know why they call them "pricks"

Interesting!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

7. Ow ow owowowowow....

That's all I have to say.

[rfranklin]

10. Remember that old Elvis song, "Stuck on You?"

Talk about a sticky wicket!

[apocalypsehow]

11. Or would it be like "ribbed for her pleasure"?

[seabeyond]

28. More about penis evolution

So, what are the bumps on chimp penises for? It's all speculation, but those of you (and there were many!) who joked about being "ribbed for her pleasure" may not be far off, as one explanation for the structures in chimps and other primates may be just that. They could be an "internal courtship device," Drea says.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/10/more-about-penis-evolution/?hpt=Sbin


maybe, so.

[Kurovski]

31. I just hours ago learned about "adding bumps" Called "insertions" I think.

The purpose is for pleasure of the female.

And , I assume to rebel. But I should not assume.

[gratuitous]

12. Disappeared 700,000 years ago

About the time humanity first synthesized alcohol. Coincidence? I make it up, you decide.

[The Doctor.]

13. Yeah, we get it. Jokes about congressional Democrats are getting old.

Besides, if Wisconsin tells us anything, it's that there are a few left.

[kpete]

14. first thing i thought of?

[texastoast]

19. YAY!

You've posted the cartoon I used to have, lost, and have been looking for for two years!

[Oilwellian]

35. Gee, that looks familiar

:D

[apocalypsehow]

17. Actually, I *didn't* get it till your post. My cynicism meter goes up another notch with every one

of these little "gotcha" episodes people increasingly feel it necessary to stage on DU.

[kpete]

18. warped sense of humor

sometimes
thats all,
peace, kpete

[apocalypsehow]

20. I understand, and that's a gracious way to respond to my post above. Allow me to buy you a beer:

:beer:

[kpete]

25. lovely

porter,
thank you
and peace, kpete

[NuclearDem]

16. Ah, the real reason men can't get a bon--

I'll just stop myself there....

[felix_numinous]

24. So we developed bigger brains

because we enjoyed sex more, or the other way around?

[Bucky]

27. We developed bigger brains, but still continue to think with the little one.

[KamaAina]

33. They all got elected to Congress as Dems?

:shrug:

[Codeine]

34. Because that shit would hurt our hands.

We're evolved to wank, dammit!