"dawn of the deed"

October 30, 2012 8:19 AM

Secrets of T-Rex sex! An interview with John Long, author of The Dawn of the Deed: The Prehistoric Origins of Sex. Long's four-part series on Evolution: This View of Life - 1) Down and Dirty in the Devonian; 2) Palaeozoic Paternity Problems; 3) From Bones to Behavior; 4) From Clasper to Penis. Also a Scientific American video ("Long discusses a fossil central to this new view of the origin of copulation and live birth: a 375-million-year-old expectant mother fish dubbed Materpiscis attenboroughi").
posted by flex (23 comments total)

Down and dirty in the WHAT?
posted by Devonian at 8:35 AM on October 30, 2012 [13 favorites]

We’re so lucky, because many of our mammal cousins, like squirrels and rodents, do have these amazing swiss army knife type penises.

That doesn't seem so lucky! Imagine being able to open a beer and have sex with the same appendage! Plus, the little scissors and the nail file are surprisingly handy.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:39 AM on October 30, 2012 [2 favorites]

Down and dirty in the WHAT?

EPONYS...oh right, I see.


I took a class called Dinosaur Science in college (how do you NOT take that class!?), and my very-famous-paleontologist professor was telling us one day about how he was called in to consult on a dinosaur track trail found...somewhere. Maybe Texas. The problem with it was that there were drag marks between the foot prints, as if the dinosaur had been dragging its tail. But we know that dinosaurs weren't tail-draggers, so how could that be?

The conclusion they arrived at was that the drag mark was, in fact, a Big Swinging Dick trail. Fossilized for perpetuity. As if you needed another reason to love dinosaurs.
posted by phunniemee at 8:42 AM on October 30, 2012 [5 favorites]

"In the mouse, the genital tubercles and limbs are both activated simultaneously by Hoxd13. Dr Marty Cohn, who published this work (reference below), concluded that “Limbs and external genitalia undergo many similar morphogenetic processes, and … the same molecular mechanisms may operate during development of the limb bud and the genital tubercle.”

So why isn't my dick as long as my arm?

Fascinating stuff, thanks.
posted by marienbad at 8:44 AM on October 30, 2012

Imagine being able to open a beer and have sex with the same appendage!

I have lived this dream countless times
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 8:44 AM on October 30, 2012 [4 favorites]

Most days, you wake up, make yourself a cup of coffee and a breakfast smoothie, and just don't imagine that the day will include news of the HMS Bounty sinking and googling "bonobo penis fencing".
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:52 AM on October 30, 2012 [1 favorite]

So why isn't my dick as long as my arm?

it's not? You poor thing
posted by spicynuts at 8:54 AM on October 30, 2012 [5 favorites]

I don't even have time to read this right now but I favorited it immediately on principle. Looking forward to sitting by candlelight and going through it tonight.
posted by straight_razor at 8:56 AM on October 30, 2012

I was sort of hoping this was about Bolan, but, fine.
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 9:00 AM on October 30, 2012 [2 favorites]

So why isn't my dick as long as my arm?

If you had arms like a T-Rex, it might be.
posted by chillmost at 9:08 AM on October 30, 2012 [9 favorites]

So why isn't my dick as long as my arm?

We've got the beginnings of a legendary AskMe thread here...
posted by Renoroc at 9:16 AM on October 30, 2012

Looking forward to sitting by candlelight and going through it tonight.

Power outage, or just setting the mood?
posted by phl at 9:23 AM on October 30, 2012

Really glad the hurricane canceled work today so I can click all of these links with impunity!
posted by jetlagaddict at 9:31 AM on October 30, 2012

"Palaeozoic Paternity Problems, next on The Maurypovichthyosaurus Show!"
posted by Rock Steady at 9:35 AM on October 30, 2012

"I was sort of hoping this was about Bolan, but, fine.'

well you're dirty and sweet got the teeth of a raptor upon you
posted by klangklangston at 9:42 AM on October 30, 2012

T-Rex trying to put on a condom.
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:45 AM on October 30, 2012 [1 favorite]

Secrets of T-Rex sex!

Secret #1: No handjobs.
posted by Malor at 9:47 AM on October 30, 2012 [6 favorites]

"bonobo penis fencing":

Eja: You are wonderful.
Mokumbusu: Thank you; I've worked hard to become so.
Eja: I admit it, you are better than I am.
Mokumbusu: Then why are you smiling?
Eja: Because I know something you don't know.
Mokumbusu: And what is that?
Eja: I... am not left-handed.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:35 AM on October 30, 2012 [1 favorite]

T-Rextasy!
posted by markkraft at 11:49 AM on October 30, 2012

Not a lot of reacharounds I'm guessing.
posted by sourwookie at 12:26 PM on October 30, 2012

Get it on, bang a gong, get it on!
posted by stormpooper at 2:50 PM on October 30, 2012

In other news: 'Penis worm' pokes holes in evolutionary dogma
posted by homunculus at 5:14 PM on October 30, 2012 [1 favorite]

Petrified wood.
posted by Kabanos at 8:55 AM on October 31, 2012