# Study reveals how birds lost their penises. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 6, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-reveals-how-birds-lost-their-penises/660336 "2013-06-06T22:36:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-reveals-how-birds-lost-their-penises/660336/1 "2013-06-06T22:36:43Z")
Evolution isn’t always fair. Especially when it takes away your dick. 😛 I lived with my uncle for a couple years and helped in his chicken pens. Quite a eyeopener for a nine year old to see a Rooster mount a hen. I never figured out how they were mating without a dick. Now I know. A duck has a penis? I never knew that. Never looked either. 😛 > **[Study reveals how birds lost their penises](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22803344)** > > New research sheds light on why some birds have lost their penises over the course of evolution. > [@](#): > > Given the absence of a penis, chickens and other land fowl have had to develop a method of fertilisation that does not rely on penetration. > > Both male and female birds have an orifice known as a cloaca. When the cloacae are touched together, sperm is transferred to the female reproductive tract. This is known as a “cloacal kiss”. > [@](#): > > In ducks and emus, which retain their penises, the gene stays switched off and the organs continue to grow. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-reveals-how-birds-lost-their-penises/660336/2 "2013-06-06T22:48:09Z")
True facts about the duck. I’ll never look at Daffy the same way again. 😉 > **[They Have WHAT??](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/true-facts-about-the-duck_n_3133072)** > > They Have WHAT?? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-reveals-how-birds-lost-their-penises/660336/3 "2013-06-07T01:10:46Z")
I love the [True Facts videos](http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOHbM4GGWADc5bZgvbivvttAuWGow6h05)! They’re one of the best things on Youtube! ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-reveals-how-birds-lost-their-penises/660336/4 "2013-06-07T08:41:08Z")
Here is [Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal](http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1936#comic) on the topic of duck sex. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-reveals-how-birds-lost-their-penises/660336/5 "2013-06-07T17:16:44Z")
So Donald Duck is at a toons’ convention and he gets lucky, and when he and the young lady get to his room she explains that she wants to have safe sex. Donald rings reception and says “Could you send someone up to my room with a condom, please?” and the receptionist says “Certainly, Mr Duck. Do you want it putting on your bill?” and Donald replies, “No, unlike most birds I do have a penis.” ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-reveals-how-birds-lost-their-penises/660336/6 "2013-06-07T20:40:16Z")
The [Argentine/Lake Duck](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Duck) has the largest penis length to body length ratio among vertebrates. Yes, it’s corkscrew, although not how you imagine it. Also, some female ducks have reverse-thread vaginas. Why? Because ducks are one of the rapiest species on the planet.