Definition
The shift in the morphology and other features of genitalia over the evolution of a given species.
Introduction
Among sexually reproducing species, the penis evolved to serve as an internal fertilization device. But across different species, penises come in a bewildering array of shapes and sizes (see Eberhard 1985). Penile morphology varies greatly across the animal kingdom. Length, girth, and major morphology differ greatly, but penises also differ in specific features: some have spines, barbs, spicules, huge coronal ridges, or none at all. For example, just in terms of length, penises range from 10 ft long (the blue whale) and 6 ft long (the elephant) to less than 1/100th of an inch (e.g., the mosquito). Many ungulates have a pronounced glans (zebra, horse, rhinoceros), and many primates have a tapered shaft (bonobo, short-tailed macaque). Other primate species, such as langurs, have a pronounced...
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Burch, R.L. (2016). Genital Evolution. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1944-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1944-1
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