Rebecca Manzi Female spotted hyenas have a pseudo-penis from which they give birth, as well as urinate and mate, but this makes giving birth extremely dangerous and difficult.
@Bernard DUPONT/Wikipedia
Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) exhibit one of the most unusual reproductive anatomy in the animal kingdom. The females possess a pseudo-penis, a large clitoris that closely resembles a penis. They use this organ for urination, copulation, and even birth. This makes the process of child birth very complicated and dangerous, with high mortality for both the cubs and mother.
During birth, the cubs must pass through the one-inch diameter pseudo-penis, a constrictive tube. The constricted passage leads to asphyxiation for approximately 60% of the first-born cubs. The mothers also suffer severe lacerations, which can lead to death due to infection.
Female hyenas form matriarchal social hierarchies
Despite these challenges, spotted hyenas have evolved social and physiological processes that ensure the survival of their species. The clan organization is dominated by females in strict matriarchal societies, where they are typically larger and more dominant than males. This is linked to high levels of androgens, which influence the development of the pseudo-penis.
Gestation is approximately 110 days, and females give birth in remote dens to protect their cubs from other clan members and predators. Hyena cubs have open eyes when they are born and have developed teeth and are ready to battle for milk from the mother. While neonatal mortality is high, females that make it through the first birth have simpler deliveries during subsequent pregnancies because the birth canal is expanded.
Spotted hyenas’ advanced reproductive body design is an exciting example of the ability of evolution to shape intricate biological forms into ideal solutions for coping with unique environmental and societal demands. The same factors that we have admired also present daunting challenges in ensuring cub survival during the period of reproduction
