Meeting Abstract
Although commonly considered passive players, female animals possess extraordinary control over their reproduction using diverse mechanisms. They regulate major aspects of mating and conception as well as offspring survival, growth, and development. Yet, historically, the female perspective has been given short shrift. One of the most striking aspects of historical terminology is that features of indeterminate sex may be given male names. For example the embryonic genital tubercle is often referred to as a primordial phallus. Even adult female structures may be given male names, such as the enlarged clitoris (aka “pseudopenis”) of female hyenas or the “female” prostate. Recent terminology is not exempt from historical biases. For instance, the the robust anatomy of a female cave insect (Neotrogla) is described as a female penis. In an unusual methodological twist, male traits have historically been employed to measure female behavior. Two particularly interesting cases include “induced” versus “spontaneous” ovulation and estrus. Our poster reviews specific examples across taxa of how the historical perspective in reproductive biology has led us to, in some cases, misunderstand that biology. We offer alternatives to help move the field forward in a gender-neutral way.
