Of the three hyena species, the spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta is the only one to have a pseudo penis.
It has the most challenging birthing process, and unlike the brown hyena and striped hyena, it gives birth to young who have open eyes.
After an average of 110 days of gestation, the spotted hyena mother gives birth to between two and four cubs. The 1-1.5 kg cubs arrive through a 1.54 cm (1 inch) wide birth canal.
The birth canal resembles the genitalia of male hyenas. It is, in fact, the female hyena’s clitoris.
I have a hard time imagining how such a thing could evolve. Making reproduction more difficult is literally the opposite of what it does, so it had to have been somehow worse to begin with.
I dunno, ducks have maze-like vaginas to avoid pregnancy from rape. Evolution optimizes for the survival of the species, not for reproducing some maximum possible amount. Perhaps they evolved when limiting reproduction wad a benefit to the species.
Dude
Hate to break it to yall, but 1.54 cm is not 1 inch.
I have a hard time imagining how such a thing could evolve. Making reproduction more difficult is literally the opposite of what it does, so it had to have been somehow worse to begin with.
I dunno, ducks have maze-like vaginas to avoid pregnancy from rape. Evolution optimizes for the survival of the species, not for reproducing some maximum possible amount. Perhaps they evolved when limiting reproduction wad a benefit to the species.
i mean, birth isn’t exactly a fun experience for humans, and yet, there’s quite a few of us here
I was aware of much of that, but somehow never considered that other cats have multiple births, so hyenas probably do too…
But hyenas are dogs, right? Right?!
No they’re hyenas, they’re closer genetically to cats but morphologically to dogs, I think I’m using the right words…