Abstracts » Zoology and wildlife conservation

Human female copulatory orgasm: a human adaptation or phylogenetic holdover

Article Abstract:

Sarah B. Hrdy's account of the evolution of the female orgasm leaves several possibilities open. One possibility is that the female orgasm may be atavistic, a phylogenetic carryover from the ancestors of primates. The second possibility is that the female orgasm serves to enhance choice sperm retention by encouraging females to seek multiple orgasms to stimulate muscle contractions. The third possibility is the capacity for multiple orgasms is a mechanism to promote pair-bonding. Evidence exists that the frequency of female orgasms is dependent on the male's ability to invest in mating requirements.

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The evolution of female orgasms: logic please by no atavism

Article Abstract:

R. Thornhill, S.W. Gangestad and R. Comer have characterized the female orgasm as an atavistic trait, referring to a trait that reappears because of chance recombinations of genes. Moreover, they assert that the female orgasm is mechanism to promote pair-bonding by satisfying the female with one mate. They add that orgasms help females retain choice sperm by moving them up the reproductive system through muscle contractions that occur during subsequent orgasms. However, such assertions are baseless and contradict accepted knowledge about primate psychophysiology.

Evolution (Biology), Primates

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Female orgasm rate increases with male dominance in Japanese macaques

Article Abstract:

The orgasmic response of female Japanese macaques, Macaca fuscata, and the proximate mechanisms that control this response are investigated in a large captive group of this species. Results reveal that the frequency of orgasm is not dependent on female status, rather, it is dependent on copulation length, number of mounts and pelvic thrusts. The highest frequency was observed in copulations involving low-ranking females and dominant males. Mechanisms controlling orgasmic threshold appear to be more responsive to social stimuli than previously believed.

Sexual behavior, Japanese macaque

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