Journal Club: vespertilium fellatio

Musica - bloodhoud gang - bad touch (ascolta)

Fonte: tan m. et al., (2009) PlosONE 4(10):e7595

Fotografia - tan et al., 2009 - figure 3 

Oral sex is widely used in human foreplay, but rarely documented in other animals. Questo è l'inciso - non credo abbia bisogno di traduzione - che apre un articolo uscito verso la fine del 2009 su PlosONE, autorevole rivista di biologia che tratta argomenti che vanno dalla strutturistica, alla biologia molecolare alla biologia evoluzionistica (un po' di tutto insomma). Visto l'interesse generale per il tema, e sopratutto l'audacia con cui certi signori riescono a parlare di pompini fra pipistrelli, ho deciso di riportare i passi più significativi del paper (tra l'altro ad accesso libero e consultabile http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2762080/). 

Introduction (dove si presentano le prove del sesso orale fra pipistrelli e del ruolo attivo della pipistrella durante la copula)

Here we provide evidence that oral sex by females on males (fellatio) is routine during copulation in short-nosed fruit bats Cynopterus sphinx (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae), and we argue that is likely to confer adaptive benefits. (...) We observed that females were not passive during copulation but performed oral sex, licking their mate's penis during copulation. This paper will provide information on the copulatory behavior and the duration of copulations of C. sphinx under captive conditions, highlighting the possible functions of this unusual licking behavior.

Methods (dove si spiega che ai pipistrelli non si è fatto mancare niente - attendo con ansia di poter essere cavia nel successivo studio sull'uomo)

The research presented in this manuscript was conducted according to protocols approved by the Guangdong Entomological Institute Administrative Panel on Laboratory Animal Care. (...) We also measured the frequency and duration of copulatory behaviours. The duration of copulation was defined as when the penis entered the vagina until when it withdrew completely.

Results (dove si narra di come copulano bene i pipistrelli e della perizia delle pipistrelle)

During copulation, the pair appeared to move forwards and backwards uninterruptedly and rhythmically. (...) Interestingly, we found that the female lowered her head to lick the shaft or the base of male penis frequently during copulation. The male never withdrew when his penis was licked by the female. (...) There was a strong correlation between the total length of time that the female licked the male's penis and the duration of copulation. Therefore the longer the female licked the penis of her mate, the longer they copulated for.

Discussion (dove si specula sulla copula e sull'importanza del sesso orale)

In conclusion, we have documented fellatio in animals that may have functional significance. (...) Importantly we show that fellatio increases the duration of copulation. (...) The behaviour presumably favours the donor, although it may also benefit both partners especially if fertilization success is increased. It is conceivable that the female manipulates the male by increasing sexual stimulation, so that she ultimately benefits.

Bene...auguro a tutti un buono studio e una buona pratica...