The Clitoris: A Recent Discovery in Human Anatomy (NSFW)

[Pele'sDaughter]

Very nearly on-topic: a Japanese vagina artist arrested. I hadn't realized that Japan had a penis fixation, but tries to suppress models of female anatomy, but it doesn't surprise me.

LilyPat

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-3624 ... ntent=link

Japan vagina artist cleared over kayak model but fined for data distribution

The judge ruled that Megumi Igarashi's brightly-coloured kayak sculpture did not immediately suggest female anatomy. However, she was fined 400,000 yen ($3,700) after a judge ruled that she broke the law by sharing data from 3D scans of her genitalia, which could be used to recreate the shape of a vagina.
Japan's strict obscenity laws prohibit public displays of genitalia.

Igarashi, 42, who goes by the alias Rokudenashiko, or "good-for-nothing girl", was arrested in 2014 after the kayak sculpture was displayed at a sex shop in Tokyo.
She was charged under obscenity laws for displaying the sculpture and for distributing the data behind it to those who donated money towards its creation.
On Monday, a judge decided that the bright colours and decorations applied to the kayak sufficiently disguised the origin of its shape.
But the data, despite having no discernible shape, could be used to faithfully recreate Ms Igarashi's genitalia using a 3D printer, and so was obscene, the judge said.
Ms Igarashi's fine was only about half the 800,000 yen penalty sought by the prosecution.

Ms Igarashi was first arrested in 2014 but released after several days following a legal appeal and a petition signed by more than 17,000 people.
But police arrested her again shortly afterwards, along with the owner of the sex shop that displayed the offending sculpture.
The case has sparked debate on the nature of censorship and Japan's obscenity laws.
Japan has a large and lucrative porn industry but bans the depiction of genitalia, leading adult film distributers to pixellate the offending anatomical areas in their productions.

On her website, Ms Igarashi, who has made several items based on her genitals using a silicone mould, said she wanted to make vaginas "more casual and pop", much like how penises are regarded as "part of pop culture" in Japan.

[chump]

[Pele'sDaughter]

[Fixx]

https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/dolp ... N_0lUN4Dd8

World-first examinations of the dolphin clitorises suggest that sex may be a pleasurable exercise for the marine mammal, and thus an important social bonding behaviour.

Dolphins, including the bottlenose (Tursiops truncates) are members of a small group of mammals that are known to copulate year-round, including during periods when conception is impossible.

In other members of this select band – such as humans and bonobos – the behaviour has long been recognised as having strong social relevance, and a purpose that goes way beyond simple procreation.

Now, researchers led by Dara Orbach from Mount Holyoke College in the US, say it appears that dolphin sex may serve a very similar role.

The conclusion comes after a detailed study of the gross and microscopic structure of a number of bottlenose dolphin clitorises. The organs were collected from 11 deceased specimens found by the US National Marine Fisheries Service.

Orbach and colleagues found that a dolphin clitoris has a tissue structure that is likely to expand when stimulated, and also contains bundles of nerves that suggest high levels of sensitivity.World-first examinations of the dolphin clitorises suggest that sex may be a pleasurable exercise for the marine mammal, and thus an important social bonding behaviour.

Dolphins, including the bottlenose (Tursiops truncates) are members of a small group of mammals that are known to copulate year-round, including during periods when conception is impossible.

In other members of this select band – such as humans and bonobos – the behaviour has long been recognised as having strong social relevance, and a purpose that goes way beyond simple procreation.

Now, researchers led by Dara Orbach from Mount Holyoke College in the US, say it appears that dolphin sex may serve a very similar role.

The conclusion comes after a detailed study of the gross and microscopic structure of a number of bottlenose dolphin clitorises. The organs were collected from 11 deceased specimens found by the US National Marine Fisheries Service.

Orbach and colleagues found that a dolphin clitoris has a tissue structure that is likely to expand when stimulated, and also contains bundles of nerves that suggest high levels of sensitivity.
Recommended
The ins and outs of dolphin sex
The ins and outs of dolphin sex
Biology

“In dolphins, the clitoris is positioned at the entrance of the vaginal opening and in direct contact with the penis during copulation, unlike the external position of the clitoris in humans,” says Orbach.

“The location of the clitoris near the vaginal opening indicates it can potentially be easily stimulated during copulation.”

Orbach presented her team’s findings over the weekend at the annual meeting of the American Association of Anatomists, held in Orlando, Florida, in the US. A journal paper is in the works.

And while dolphin sex organs might seem like a recondite and perhaps frivolous choice of research topic, Orbach is quick to point out that it has serious implications for the whole field of zoology.

“Very little is known about female reproductive morphology in most wild vertebrate species,” she says.

“This research provides a comparative framework to explore other functions of sex that may not be unique to humans. We are on the precipice of a deeper understanding of the relationship between form and function of genitalia.”