human sexuality
NON-HUMAN ANIMAL CHECK-IN
SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS
BLUESTREAK CLEANER WRASSE
All females in the species can change to males.
The most dominant female in a group is the one that changes sex to become male.
There is typically one male per group at any given time.
If the male dies or is challenged by a female, a new female can take over as male.
A challenged male has the ability to revert back to being female.
The transition from female to male takes approximately two hours.
CLOWN FISH
Clownfish are born male and are not sexually reproductive at birth.
The largest and most dominant clownfish becomes female.
The next largest clownfish becomes the sexually reproductive male.
Smaller clownfish residing within the anemone remain as underdeveloped males.
If the female dies, the reproductive male undergoes a sex change to become female.
The largest of the underdeveloped males develops into the new reproductive male.
CHANGING SEX
Types of Sex Change
Protandry:
Refers to the phenomenon where individuals born as males can change to females.
Protogyny:
Refers to the phenomenon where individuals born as females can change to males.
Gonochoristic:
This is a term used to describe species whose sex remains fixed and does not change throughout their lifespan.
FUN FACT: RETRONYM
Retronyms are terms that are created when a new opposing concept emerges.
Example of Retronym:
The word “homosexual” was coined first, leading to the later emergence of the term “heterosexual.”
Similarly, the term “transgender” was introduced before the term “cisgender” appeared.
WHY CHANGE SEX?
Changing sex can be beneficial due to evolutionary fitness, which relates to the likelihood of survival and successful reproduction.
Traits that enhance survival and reproductive success are more likely to be passed on to future generations, becoming predominant traits over time.
Reproduction is noted to be physiologically “expensive.”
By changing sex, individuals can potentially increase their fitness in the context of their environment.