A perfectly preserved shellfish fossil over 100 million years old has revealed a surprising feature 鈥� the oldest penis in the world.
The fossil, a one millimetre-wide crustacean called an ostracod, was found in Brazil and examined by David Siveter at the University of Leicester. It was preserved with its shell open displayed another surprise 鈥� not one but two penises.
鈥淲e think there are two penises as they evolved from a set of appendages. The female also has two vaginas and their copulation may last from a few seconds up to a few minutes,鈥� says Siveter. 鈥淭hey display the longest and most ostentatious display of sex in the fossil record.鈥�
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鈥淎lthough we have recognised gender in the fossil record for 500 million years this is the first example of a penis of this age,鈥� he adds.
Most ostracods are tiny marine creatures, but they have the largest sperm to body ratio in the natural world 鈥� up to ten times their body size. Those with the largest sperm have needed to devise a special system to enable them to fertilise a female.
鈥淭hey have to use a type of bicycle pump to eject the sperm into the female,鈥� Seviter says.
This research was presented at the British Association Festival of Science in Leicester, UK
