Duck dongs

Best. Headline. Ever.

Hat tip to Salon's Broadsheet for relating new findings about duck genitals from the NYT. ("In Ducks, War of the Sexes Plays out in the Evolution of Genitalia" by Carl Zimmer)

Several interesting points, including the evolution of genitalia in and of itself, the fact that female ducks' complicated boxes seem to be that way in order to be able to capture and expel unwanted sperm from duck rape (1/3 of all duck sex!), and also that it was a (human) female researcher who discovered this new things about male ducks.

That last point reminds me of historical, sociological, etc. work on humans. Before the gender turn, male scholars ignored women, and discounted men as objects of study as men. Then women demanded that women be studied. Then, finally, these women prompted a study of men as well. Now of course men are in the game - but beyond some pioneers, men were largely absent from early gender work. Men's studies is still seen as a kook specialty, distrusted by both women (who see it as backward and patriarchal) and men (who see it as effeminate).