{"id":40312,"date":"2023-04-27T05:52:06","date_gmt":"2023-04-27T03:52:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/?p=40312"},"modified":"2025-09-15T04:35:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T02:35:16","slug":"who-invented-sex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/who-invented-sex\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Invented Sex? The Breakdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

Propagation, fission, mitosis \u2013 since the dawn of time, things have been reproducing in one way or another. It\u2019s what makes the world go round. Keeps DNA moving from one generation to the next. Keeping the cycle of life alive and well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then we look at sex as we know it. Incredibly fun and pleasurable, billions of dollars worth of industries built around it, one of the biggest components in many of our relationships. How did we get from a cell dividing into two to this?<\/span><\/p>\n

While reproduction may be the driving force behind many of our sexual needs, sex has evolved way past that. Many people don\u2019t even want to reproduce or don\u2019t have sex with partners they can biologically reproduce with. So how did we get here? How was sex as we know it invented?<\/span><\/p>\n

Biology 101<\/b><\/h2>\n

So, who were the first creatures to get down and dirty? The answer lies under the sea. But first a quick biology lesson.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve got two main types of reproduction \u2013 sexual, and asexual. And the former doesn\u2019t necessarily mean what you think it means. Simply put, sexual reproduction creates a unique offspring from the genetic material of two parents, while in asexual reproduction an organism creates a genetically identical offspring by copying itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in the day (and we mean way back), all organisms were capable of asexual reproduction. Somewhere down the line cells evolved and came up with gametes, or haploid cells which carry only half the genetic material needed to reproduce versus all of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

This means instead of self-multiplying, organisms needed to pair with other organisms to make a complete set of chromosomes. Aka, sexual reproduction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Land Before Time<\/b><\/h2>\n

Sexual reproduction can be as simple as pollen moving around and sprouting baby plants left and right. But when did *actual sex* start?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019re gonna hop in the way back machine to a Scottish Lake 385 million years ago where the fossilized remains of a fish named <\/span>Microbrachius dicki <\/span><\/i>have left the oldest evidence of penetrative sex on planet Earth. Before you blame scientists for their immaturity in naming said fossils, we\u2019d like to point out that it was named after the Scottish man, Robert Dick, who dug up little dicki\u2019s remains.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientific studies done on the fossils<\/span><\/a> showed a \u201cbony L-shaped genital limb\u201d used to transfer sperm from males to females, named the clasper. They also found \u201csmall paired bones\u201d meant to hold the male organs during \u2013 shall we call it sex? This groundbreaking study found the earliest known example of copulation and internal fertilization.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike the many sexual positions we have available to us as humans these days, these fish most likely copulated by swimming side by side with their interlocked \u2013\u00a0sort of like square dancing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Path to Pleasure<\/b><\/h2>\n

This freaky fish brought a new type of sexual reproduction to the scene \u2013 internal fertilization. But that doesn\u2019t mean they enjoyed it. Most likely it was more of a business transaction. A primal pact to keep their species going for the sake of biology. That is still true for many species that use internal fertilization today.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, when did sex become pleasurable?<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientists theorize that while pleasure and consent probably looked a whole lot different than they do now, there was probably always some element of reward in copulation \u2013 for at least one of the parties involved. Otherwise, why would they risk life and limb to engage in such precarious activities?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever engaged in heterosexual activities, you\u2019ve probably noticed that it can be a lot more difficult for cis women or people with vaginas to have orgasms than it is for men. While female orgasms aren\u2019t necessary for reproduction, that may be the reason they developed evolutionarily speaking.<\/span><\/p>\n

One <\/span>scientific theory for the female orgasm<\/span><\/a> is that our ancestors way back when may have had ovulation that was triggered by orgasm. They deduced this by realizing that the hormonal surge during female orgasm is similar to the surge in species with induced ovulation. As ovulation started to happen on its own, orgasm then took on a secondary role, one which we are hopefully all familiar with.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s Not Just About Reproduction<\/b><\/h2>\n

While it makes sense to look at the history of sex from a reproductive perspective, there\u2019s much more to it than that. Sex is a social tool. Used to connect, for conflict resolution, and sometimes for transactional purposes. Not to mention, for most people these days, sex is not about making babies \u2013 no matter what your sexuality is.<\/span><\/p>\n

Humans are not the only species that reproduce through copulation, but we seem to be one of the few that enjoy it. We also have arguably the most intricate, well-defined, and complex social structures on the planet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our relationship with sex and our relationship with each other go hand in hand. One of the few examples we have in nature is the bonobo chimpanzees. Similarly to humans, bonobos use sex, often casual sex, for social bonding, and to mediate conflicts. They also practice kissing and oral sex, and experience orgasms. Bonobos also engage in queer relationships much like dolphins, orangutans, sheep, fruit bats, beetles, and of course \u2013 humans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sex and Society<\/b><\/h2>\n

While this doesn\u2019t explain why sex became pleasurable, it does show how it has evolved beyond just a tool for reproduction. Beyond the physiological pleasure, we feel during sex, we experience pleasure and all sorts of other emotions thanks to the role it plays in our relationships and society as a whole.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For something that seems so simple, sex is incredibly complex. We\u2019ve come a long way from prehistoric fish mating on the floor of a Scottish lake, and we\u2019ll probably continue to evolve. Sex is one of the greatest tools we have for understanding each other on a deeper level, deepening our romantic relationships, and making the most of being in these bodies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Propagation, fission, mitosis \u2013 since the dawn of time, things have been reproducing in one way or another. It\u2019s what makes the world go round. Keeps DNA moving from one generation to the next. Keeping the cycle of life alive and well.\u00a0 Then we look at sex as we know it. Incredibly fun and pleasurable, billions of dollars worth of industries built around it, one of the biggest components in many of our relationships. How did we get from a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":232,"featured_media":40479,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[313,579],"coauthors":[1028],"class_list":["post-40312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sex-tips-advice","tag-history","tag-sex"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow Sex Was Invented & Came To Be<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The first evidence of copulatory sex came from the remains of a prehistoric fish in a Scottish lake. 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