Wings, legs... in sex, the main thing is the tail!
It is known that tails provide animals with additional sensory perception of the surrounding world, as well as participate in thermoregulation, balance maintenance and navigation. Mexican researchers from the University of Veracruz and the National Independent University of Mexico, working under the leadership of Dr. Pablo Pacheco, have found that the tails of female rats play an important role in the sexual life of these animals. Females use their tails to stimulate and direct the actions of their partners, as well as to maintain their balance during copulation.
Usually, a male rat detects a female ready for copulation by smell, emits ultrasonic summoning signals and marks the territory with urine. After that, he approaches the female and initiates copulation, consisting in a series of rhythmic movements of the pelvic area.
The researchers surgically removed the tails of several rats of both sexes and observed the effects of the procedure on animal mating.
The removal of the tail did not affect the attractiveness of the animals for the opposite sex at all. The absence of this organ slightly worsened the coordination of the males' movements when moving, but, at the same time, had a more pronounced effect on the females.
The mating animals performed the usual ritual, however, in the absence of a tail from the female, males had difficulties with taking the correct position, penetrating the vagina and completing the mating process.
According to the authors, the base of the female's tail directs and regulates the actions of the male during copulation, ensuring that the penis enters the vagina, while the tip of the tail stimulates the male. The authors emphasize that during copulation, the male cannot see his actions, so the female's tail is necessary to control his movements.
At the same time, the length of the tail does not matter for the efficiency of the process, because the tails of males are usually longer than the tails of females, in addition, the length of the tail varies significantly depending on the type of rat.
The authors believe that the role of the tail, which they discovered to facilitate the mating process, is relevant not only for rats, but also for cattle, cats, dogs, rabbits, and some primates, such as spider monkeys.
Perhaps this discovery is also important in relation to humans. Humans do not have tails, but most of the information is transmitted to the rat's tail through the spinal cord, the structure of which is in many ways similar to the structure of the human spinal cord.
A number of human sexual disorders, including premature ejaculation, are caused by a violation of sensory feedback with the genitals and reactions resulting from this feedback.
Perhaps a detailed study of the neural mechanisms involved in the sexual functions of the tail in rats will allow us to better understand the causes of human sexual problems and find ways to eliminate them.
Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of ScienceDaily
23.05.2008