Why is the tip of a mushroom shaped

The biology of human body is extremely fascinating – right from how a woman’s body reproduces an entire human being to how each organs function in harmony with each other for our system to work. But what has recently caught our attention is why the penis is shaped the way it is – like a mushroom. Penis plays a role of an important tool when it comes to reproducing, but that’s not it. The tube shape makes sense as it can comfortably fit inside a vagina but what about the bit at the top. Technically called glans, is shaped a bit like mushroom and there’s an evolutionary reason for the shape.

Professor Gordon Gallup from the State University of New York led a team of scientists to investigate the anatomy of the human penis and its use in 2003. The evolutionary reason for the shape of the head of the penis is there to allow it to scoop out other men’s semen from a woman’s vagina during sex. Surprised? But it is a fact. Experts believe the penis evolved to have a ‘ridge’ to spoon out the semen of love rivals, giving them an advantage when it comes to getting a woman pregnant.

In an article published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology, Gallup argues that ‘a longer penis would not only have been an advantage for leaving semen in a less accessible part of the vagina, but by filling and expanding the vagina it also would aid and abet the displacement of semen left by other males as a means of maximising the likelihood of paternity.’ The theory is, it’s about the survival of the fittest.

Sperm cells can survive in a woman’s cervical mucus for up to several days. Over this period of time, if she has more than one male sexual partner (within 48 hours), then the sperm of these two men are competing for reproductive access to her ovum. Hence, the nature equipped men with penis sculpted in such a way that organ could effectively displace the semen of deposited by a sexual rival from their partner’s vagina, a well-synchronised effect facilitated by the ‘upsuck’ of thrusting during intercourse.

To explore the theory, scientists conducted an experiment. They put a mock-up penis with a sizable ridge into a fake vagina and measured how much of a corn starch mixture it could pull out, compared to a fake penis with no or smaller ridge. They found that the penis with the massive ridge was able to remove 90% of the corn starch mixture with just one thrust. The scientists also discovered that the depth of thrusting was important. A three-quarter thrust could only remove 40% of the semen mixture they created.

Gallup also said they found evidence that couples tend to have more energetic sex if the woman has been suspected of cheating or if a couple has been apart. It could, he said, be down to a sub-conscious desire to rid his partner of any trace of another man’s semen. However, it is important to note, the theory dates from centuries ago when women would have sex with a number of partners, to increase their chances of getting pregnant.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 14, 2018 11:33 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).

PENISES come in all different shapes and sizes, and no two todgers are the same.

But why is 'penis mushroom shaped' trending at the moment? Here's all you need to know.

All kinds of strange Google search trends are starting... all the time.

In April, 2022, one popped out in particular, the phrase: 'penis mushroom shaped'.

The spike in interest appears to have been the result of a TikTok user alluding to the answer to this question that can be found online.

It led people to search why penises are typically shaped this way, but many were left regretting the decision.

One Twitter user wrote: "So tiktok made me Google “why is the tip of a penis mushroom shaped” now I wish I hadn’t bothered."

Another said: "Please don't Google why is the tip of a man's penis mushroom shaped…. Just don't, not knowing Is better… trust me."

Why is the penis shaped like a mushroom?

The answer people were shocked to learn is that the penis may have evolved into this shape in order to remove the semen of rival males.

State University of New York's Professor Gordon Gallup led research into the anatomy of willies and their use in 2003.

It was found that thrusting, as well as the ridge separating shaft from head could help clear a vagina and reproductive system of a previous sexual partner's semen.

This would allow the new mate to add his own sperm and have a stronger chance of reproducing.

The theory was tested with models of vaginas and latex penises.

Using a mixture of water and starch, the team found that with just a single thrust, the ridge of the penis could remove over 90 per cent of the "semen" replacement.

Prof Gallup said: "We theorize that as a consequence of competition for paternity, human males evolved uniquely configured penises that function to displace semen from the vagina left by other males.

"Thus, the human penis may enable males to substitute their semen for the semen of their competitors."

Are there other shapes of a penis?

There's no such thing as a 'standard' penis shape.

There's huge variety in terms of their appearance, and none should be considered to be either abnormal or normal.

Talking about these parts of your body isn't always easy, and GP Dr Philippa Kaye has revealed the answer to four penis health questions people might be embarrassed to ask.

Always remember that sexual health is important, and health professionals are comfortable treating issues affecting any part of your body.

We’ll give you a hint: rival semen

If you’ve ever wondered why your penis is shaped like that, you’re not alone. In fact, it’s all everyone’s Googling right now. Specifically, you’re asking: Why is the penis shaped like a mushroom? And, before you bring it up, yes we all remember that Stormy Daniels quote. But this isn’t about Trump’s “toadstool” dick — it’s about everyone’s toadstool dick. And, as it turns out, there’s a very logical reason for their universally shroomy shapes.

In 2004, psychologist Gordon Gallup and academic Rebecca Burch co-authored a paper about the evolution of the penis. Published in the Evolutionary Psychology journal, the study proposed the “semen displacement hypothesis,” suggesting that the human penis’ mushroom cap-shaped tip — or, as they call it, “pronounced coronal ridge” — exists to “scoop out” “rival” cum in the vagina, with the ultimate aim of making sure their semen wins the daddy race.

Gorg! So how does it work? Well, the authors say, the mushroom head forces the semen of the previous partner “back over/under” the tip of the penis, so “during intercourse, the effect of repeated thrusting would be to draw out and displace foreign semen away from the cervix.” This also explains why the human penis tends to be longer and girthier than other animals — as Gallup and Burch point out, it “needs to be of sufficient size to fill the vagina and supplant foreign semen.” Other animals do this too, but they use “penile barbs, hooks, combs or a textured” penis tip.

To test out their hypothesis, the researchers simulated sexual encounters using artificial models, with the aim of monitoring semen displacement, depth of thrusting and semen viscosity. Reflecting on their findings nearly 20 years on, Burch tells me, “We were very surprised when the penises with coronal ridges were extremely efficient at pulling fluid from the cervical end of the vagina to the entrance. One thrust (insertion and withdrawal) of a penis with a coronal ridge displaced 90 percent of the fluid in the vagina. We predicted there would be some displacement, but 90 percent was above and beyond.”

Unlike the more primitive days, when birth control didn’t exist and everyone was having gangbangs and orgies all the time (hence the plethora of “rival” semen), today — for better or worse — many people are monogamous or, at least, practice safe sex with a condom. So, will the penis soon evolve out of its mushroom shape and into something else?

Probably not, says Burch. “Even though monogamy is a common mating system, infidelity exists,” she tells me. “There has been extensive research on the incidence of infidelity, and even infidelity and then sleeping with a committed partner shortly after. This is still an important strategy, particularly in monogamy, as the male in the committed relationship would be expected to raise children with his partner. Men would use this strategy to help ensure that these children are theirs.”

“In fact, we have data that show that when the man is separated from his partner, or suspicious of her infidelity, he thrusts more (and more deeply), which increases displacement,” Burch continues. “We also see this in rough sex research — that rough sex triggered by male jealousy involves more displacement — and in cheating scenarios on the part of the ‘other man.’ Men who have sex with a woman and are aware that she’s in a relationship, engage in more displacement behaviors.”

Of course, Gallop and Burch’s theory isn’t universally accepted, and, when their study was published, it faced some criticisms. Speaking to BBC News in 2003, other scientists described the theory as “far fetched” and “flawed,” with one questioning: “If the man continues to thrust after ejaculation he would simply be scooping out his own semen. Also does the sexual position matter? I imagine gravity has some role here.” 

Another study proposed that men’s penises had simply evolved to be the size and shape they are because of women’s preferences for bigger dick. As National Geographic reported in 2013: “Since early humans didn’t wear clothes, male penises were obvious to women. So if women chose their mates based on the size of their genitalia, it’s possible that these decisions influenced the evolution of bigger penises.” Gallop himself criticized this theory, pointing out that women would just see men’s flaccid penises more often, which have less bearing on pleasure during sex. Also, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, this conversation is extremely heteronormative, meaning that even if these theories are true, they don’t adequately describe what’s happening for everyone. 

Without further research, it’s near-impossible to state with complete accuracy exactly why the penis is mushroom shaped. Still, with little examination out there, Gallop and Burch’s evolutionary theory does appear to make most sense. With this in mind, and thanks to men’s inherently competitive nature, it looks like the penis might just stay shroomy forever. 

So, maybe Trump is the ultimate dick after all.