Clitoral bones

The clitoral bone ( Latin os clitoridis, baubellum ) is a small bone in the female clitoris of some mammals. There is no clitoral bone in humans. A penis bone ( os penis , os priapi or baculum) occurs as a male equivalent in numerous male mammals .

Occurrence

Clitoral bones are found in representatives of numerous species within mammals. Bones of this type have been proven in various rodents as well as in many predators , primates and bats :

Within the bats there is evidence of clitoral bones among others in the genera Rhinolophus
In rodents clitoris bones come from representatives before various genera, including about many squirrels ( squirrels ( Sciurus ), American Red Squirrel ( Tamiasciusrus ), chipmunks ( Tamias )), the mountain beaver ( Aplodontia ) in mice ( Mus ) in porcupine ( Hystrix ) , in guinea pigs ( cavy ) and others.
Among the predators are clitoral bones in representatives of the bears ( Ursus ), the small bears ( raccoons ( Procyon ), coatis ( Nasua )), the marten ( Mustela , Martes , old world otters ( Lutra ), big cats ( Panthera ), small cats like Felis , the Fossa ( Cryptoprocta ))
Within the primates, clitoral bones occur among others in Galagos ( Galago ), Gibbons ( Siamang ( Symphalangus syndactylus )) and orangutans ( Pongo ).

There is not necessarily a clitoral bone in all species in which the males have a penis bone.

Structure and location

The clitoris bone is part of the female sexual organ, and provides a ossification of Klitorisschwellkörpers represents (corpus cavernosum clitoridis). It is designed rod-shaped and flattened laterally and generally extends above the urethra from the glans backwards. Although it is usually bony, it may only be cartilaginous in some mammals .

Since the morphology of the clitoral bone, like that of the penis bone, is very species-specific, it is occasionally used to distinguish closely related species ( systematics ).

function

The exact function of the clitoral bone is not known; a function during sexual intercourse is assumed.

supporting documents

↑ James N. Layne: The Os Clitoridis of Some North American Sciuridae. Journal of Mammalogy 35 (3), August 1954; Pp. 357-366. DOI: 10.2307 / 1375960 .
↑ ^a ^b Seimato Simokawa: Some Remarks on the Clitoris Bone. The Keijo Journal of Medicine 9 (4), Keijo Imperial University December 1938. ( full text )

literature

James N. Layne: The Os Clitoridis of Some North American Sciuridae. Journal of Mammalogy 35 (3), August 1954; Pp. 357-366. DOI: 10.2307 / 1375960 .

[Layne_1954-1] James N. Layne: The Os Clitoridis of Some North American Sciuridae. Journal of Mammalogy 35 (3), August 1954; Pp. 357-366. DOI: 10.2307 / 1375960 .

[Simokawa_1938-2] Seimato Simokawa: Some Remarks on the Clitoris Bone. The Keijo Journal of Medicine 9 (4), Keijo Imperial University December 1938. ( full text )