Moreover, the dolphin clitoris appears to show striking similarities with that of humans.

It is sometimes suggested that dolphins – just like us – enjoy sex. A new study now backs up that assumption. Researchers have discovered that female dolphins have a well-developed clitoris, just like humans. “The dolphin clitoris has many features that indicate that the animal feels pleasure,” said study researcher Patricia Brennan.

Making love dolphins

Scientists know that dolphins are very social animals. They make love all year round to forge and maintain social bonds. And they may also just like sex. “Dolphins’ sexual behavior suggests they are having fun during their sexual interactions,” Brennan told Scientias.nl. In addition, it has been noted before that female dolphins have a clitoris. This is located in a place that allows stimulation during sex. Female dolphins have also been spotted rubbing each other’s clitoris with their snouts and fins.

dolphin clitoris

In a new study, Brennan and her colleagues decided to take a closer look at the dolphin’s clitoris. They carefully studied the clitoris of 11 females who had died naturally. “We wanted to investigate not only the characteristics of the clitoris, but also whether it might stimulate pleasure,” Brennan says. The researchers mapped out the precise shape and analyzed how the nerves run through the tissues. The research leads to an undeniable conclusion. Because it seems that dolphins, just like humans, have a well-developed and functioning clitoris.

Characteristics

“Like the human clitoris, the dolphin clitoris has large areas of erectile tissue that fill with blood,” explains Brennan. “The shape of the erectile tissue also changes as the animals mature. This suggests that it takes on a functional role later in life.” The researchers also show that large nerves run through the clitoris. “Some are even larger than half a millimeter,” Brennan said.

This image shows the large nerves in the dolphin clitoris. Image: Patricia Brennan

In addition, there are many nerve endings directly under the skin, which is much thinner there than in the adjacent skin. Finally, the researchers found genital corpuscles very similar to those found in the human clitoris and in the glans of the penis, which are known to be involved in pleasure.

Form

All in all, the researchers conclude that the dolphin clitoris is also remarkably similar in shape to that of humans. A surprising discovery. “Because dolphins’ entire pelvises are so different from humans, it was surprising to see how similar the shape of the clitoris is,” Brennan says.

Orgasm

Because the clitoris of dolphins shows a lot of similarities with that of humans, the question arises whether dolphins also experience orgasms. Brennan, however, owes us the answer. “We don’t know,” she says when asked. “We can’t really study this among dolphins. Incidentally, sexual pleasure and having orgasms are not necessarily correlated. For example, many people experience pleasure without orgasm. What we can say is that the dolphin clitoris has morphological features that suggest that the animal is experiencing pleasure.”

Evolutionary utility

And the fact that female dolphins enjoy sex also serves an evolutionary purpose. “We think if sex feels good, the females will seek it out more,” Brennan says. “More dolphin sex can then lead to greater reproductive success, as well as greater social bonding.”

Poor research

The researchers note that little research has actually been done on the clitoris and female sexual pleasure in nature. Even the anatomy of the human clitoris was not fully known until the 1990s. “Some features of the clitoris that are medically relevant have been studied a bit more,” Brennan says. “But in general, the clitoris has not been examined through an evolutionary lens. I think this is partly due to scientific bias. For example, the male genitalia have been studied much more than the female. In addition, it also has to do with the fact that people feel uncomfortable talking openly about their genitals. This makes it a less common area of ​​research. From my point of view, however, genitals are just like any other organ, except they have a very important reproductive function that should not be ignored.”

According to the researcher, the neglect in research on female sexuality has left us with an incomplete picture of the true nature of sexual behavior. “Studying and understanding sexual behavior in nature is a fundamental part of our understanding of animals,” Brennan said. To help fill the gaps that already exist, the team is continuing to research the clitoris and genitalia of dolphins and many other vertebrates. “I’m intrigued by the idea that many animals that have sex, rather than just reproduction, may have well-developed clitoris,” Brennan concludes.