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Male and female reproductive systems of the spotted hyena. In mammals, all intact developmentally typical males have a penis, but the clitoris in the females of the following species is sufficiently enlarged that it is usually termed a pseudo-penis: spotted hyena, [1] [2] juvenile fossa, [3] binturong, [4] lemur [5] and spider monkey.
The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), also known as the laughing hyena, [3] is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus Crocuta, native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUCN due to its widespread range and large numbers estimated between 27,000 and 47,000 individuals. [ 1 ]
Males in most hyena species are larger than females, [34] though the spotted hyena is an exception, as it is the female of the species that outweighs and dominates the male. Also, unlike other hyenas, the female spotted hyena's external genitalia closely resembles that of the male. [35]
[24] [26] That designation is typically reserved for those who simultaneously exhibit features of both sexes; [26] the genetic makeup of female spotted hyenas "are clearly distinct" from male spotted hyenas. [24] [26] Female spotted hyenas have a clitoris 90 percent as long and the same diameter as a male penis (171 millimetres long and 22 ...
The increased male hormones during development contribute to an enlarged pseudopenis that is involved in mating and birth. [57] Although the anatomical and behavioural roles differ from accepted norms, spotted hyenas are not sex role reversed because the females do not compete with each other for mates. [58]
In the spotted hyenas, the only way for the males to mate with the females is if they have the female's full cooperation because of the female's peniform clitoris. An increase in the male's status gave them more access to dominant females in the clan.
Permanent masculinization, on the other hand, typically evolves when consistent selective pressures favor the persistence of male-typical traits in females. [citation needed] In the case of spotted hyenas, the development of a pseudopenis is thought to play a role in dominance hierarchies, where females exert control over the social structure ...
The female striped hyena's genitalia are transiently masculinized, [17] although it lacks the enlarged clitoris and false scrotal sack noted in the female genitalia of the spotted hyena. [18] The female has 3 pairs of nipples. [19] Adult weight can range from 22 to 55 kg (49 to 121 lb), averaging at about 35 kg (77 lb).