How did that get there?

January 23, 2007 7:58 AM

The origins of the vagina Only mammals have 'em. Why? (via markmaynard).
posted by klangklangston (36 comments total)

Because we aren't as inherently nifty as cephalopods? *waves at PZ*
posted by maudlin at 8:02 AM on January 23, 2007

Meh. Speaking as a mother of two children, I'd prefer it if we were marsupials. Or better yet, I wish the whole "the story brought 'em" thing was true. Pregnancy + childbirth = argh.
posted by Zinger at 8:12 AM on January 23, 2007

As an aside: Pharyngula rules.
posted by inoculatedcities at 8:13 AM on January 23, 2007

I'd prefer it if we were marsupials.

"Hey dude, lets go get some pouch..."
posted by jonmc at 8:14 AM on January 23, 2007 [1 favorite]

The vagina is an entirely new structure, which has no homolog in amphibians or reptiles.

Uh huhhuh, huhuhuhuh. He said, "homolog." Huhhuhuhuh. Uh huhuhuh.
posted by The Straightener at 8:18 AM on January 23, 2007

Marsupials: The female has two vaginas, both of which open externally through one orifice but lead to different compartments within the uterus. Males usually have a two-pronged penis which corresponds to the females' two vaginas. (wikipedia)
Double the pleasure?
posted by jouke at 8:22 AM on January 23, 2007

CLOACA!
posted by porpoise at 8:35 AM on January 23, 2007

Marsupials: The female has two vaginas,

I think we've solved the "Grow a pair" debate.
posted by spicynuts at 8:39 AM on January 23, 2007 [7 favorites]

What a coincidence. I was just researching this topic. Need more primary sources though.
posted by srboisvert at 8:46 AM on January 23, 2007

tag please.
posted by mosk at 8:59 AM on January 23, 2007

Q: why do female mammals have vaginas?
A: because of HoxA-13

I did not find that answer interesting. But then I'm not a geneticist.
posted by jouke at 8:59 AM on January 23, 2007

er, that should have said "img tag please."
posted by mosk at 9:00 AM on January 23, 2007

You put your weed in there.
posted by Astro Zombie at 9:03 AM on January 23, 2007

for the greater good
posted by joelf at 9:25 AM on January 23, 2007

How did that get [in] there?
posted by four panels at 9:30 AM on January 23, 2007

I could really sink my teeth into this post.
posted by winks007 at 9:34 AM on January 23, 2007

Thinking of somebody I once knew, the answer I flashed on was "because 'motorcycle parking lot' was already taken."
posted by pax digita at 9:45 AM on January 23, 2007

I think we've solved the "Grow a pair" debate.
posted by spicynuts

Eponysterical?
posted by the_bone at 9:47 AM on January 23, 2007

This is really interesting.

Good link; I hadn't known about these so-called ScienceBlogs(TM) before... many or all of which appear to be written by bona-fide academics.

I didn't know science professors had discovered blogs...
posted by killdevil at 9:50 AM on January 23, 2007

Vive la difference!!
posted by zoogleplex at 9:59 AM on January 23, 2007

Males usually have a two-pronged penis

That's not polarized, is it? If you touch them during intercourse, would you get a shock?

Would they?

Or would they be kinda into that?

I'll be in my bunk.
posted by CynicalKnight at 10:29 AM on January 23, 2007

If you touch them during intercourse, would you get a shock?

It is rather reminiscent of the shocker.
posted by Space Coyote at 10:33 AM on January 23, 2007

One in the pink, one in the other pink.
posted by LordSludge at 10:49 AM on January 23, 2007

Can I just say that I love that the abbreviated vag has been used in link (evolution_of_the_mammalian_vag.php) They couldn't have snuck in vah-jay-jay instead?
posted by Asherah at 11:27 AM on January 23, 2007

Double.
posted by Eideteker at 11:51 AM on January 23, 2007

Asherah: Hate to spoil your fun, but they probably just truncate story titles at 30 characters for their page names.
posted by zakj at 11:56 AM on January 23, 2007

killdevil wrote "I didn't know science professors had discovered blogs..."

Why would that surprise you? Some of us have even discovered Metafilter. (Even before you did, to judge from your user number)
posted by caution live frogs at 12:02 PM on January 23, 2007

I'll quote the article:

Everything gets dumped in to the cavity of the cloaca, making a nice stew of feces, urine, and sperm or eggs. Mmm-mmm.

I'll quote the article again, this time pointing out what's wrong:

Everything gets dumped in to the cavity of the cloaca, making a nice stew of feces, urine, and sperm or eggs. Mmm-mmm.
posted by Anything at 12:22 PM on January 23, 2007 [1 favorite]

Males usually have a two-pronged penis

That's not polarized, is it? If you touch them during intercourse, would you get a shock?

Put your tongue on it and the taste is reminiscent of a 9V battery.
posted by Feisty at 2:17 PM on January 23, 2007 [2 favorites]

Now, see, I have actually said of myself that I didn't have the balls to do something, but. I guess the guy thought people wouldn't be interested in some nice comparative morphology without a little huh-huh-huh entertainment center heh crap. The science is interesting, but the tone bugs me.
posted by Methylviolet at 2:27 PM on January 23, 2007

I heart Pharyngula so much!
posted by arcticwoman at 5:15 PM on January 23, 2007

Next time you try to stick it in your girlfriend's pooper, and she yells at you, just say "sorry, old evolutionary habit."
posted by Citizen Premier at 6:33 PM on January 23, 2007

I wondered about it for a second and then it occured to me: who would want to play in a vagina that wasn't warm-blooded? And let's face it, despite modern convention, a vagina is supposed to be covered in fur.

This proves there is a god. And she's a mammal. With a vagina. Or something.

Off to drink more to the memory of Andre the Giant. He was a mammal without a vagina.
posted by djeo at 6:35 PM on January 23, 2007

"The science is interesting, but the tone bugs me."

I can understand that. Wait, there or here?
posted by klangklangston at 10:19 PM on January 23, 2007

There, of course.
Here, it's a feature.
posted by Methylviolet at 10:34 PM on January 23, 2007

Only mammals have 'em. Why?

Maybe fun-holes were originally needed for storing surpluses of mammals' anti-microbial snot mixed in with a lot of fat and sugar?
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:21 PM on January 23, 2007