Feb 12
Darwin Day Seminar: Patricia Brennan, "Studying Female Morphology to Understand Genital Coevolution in Vertebrates"
The biology of female genitalia has often been overlooked in science, hampering our understanding of the causes and consequences of genital coevolution. By examining female and male genitalia, Dr. Brennan’s lab has uncovered several examples of genital coevolution in vertebrates. In waterfowl, sexual conflict over forced copulations has led to the evolution of unique functional morphology of male genitalia and coevolution between males and females that result from an evolutionary arms race as males try to bypass female choice and females resist male coercion. Her lab has described similar coevolution in dolphins, snakes, and sharks. More recently her lab has began to examine clitoris anatomy in vertebrates to understand their function and evolution, and the potential role of pleasure in mediating reproductive interactions. This research fills a gap in our understanding of the most mechanically direct interaction between males and females, and examine why copulatory interactions can often be so uncooperative.