Modern Western society is often highly sexually charged, pitting men against women. We can see these dynamics play out in our homes and families. No doubt, if you are a man reading this who has been in a serious relationship with a woman, you know how these things can happen. I’m not being judgmental here, just pointing out one of the realities of our world.
Oftentimes, domestic arguments arise over household chores, with both sides claiming the other isn’t pulling his or her weight. Sometimes, the female partner will say something to the effect of, “If men had to give birth, things would be much different.” Usually nothing more is said because it’s just one of those things that really can’t be answered.
Or can it?
Generally, we can look at other species in the animal kingdom to see how humans once acted before we became “civilized.” Some examples can tell us a lot. Take, for instance, the seahorse. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of a seahorse somewhere and know that it’s actually a type of fish with a horse-like head. There are actually forty-five different species of seahorses in the genus Hippocampus, and they can be found in nearly every ocean in the world. Besides being interesting looking, seahorses have a fascinating trait that brings us back to our dilemma of the modern battle of the sexes.
Their males actually give birth.
Seahorse mating is much like other species of fish and the females do produce eggs. But once a female and male “court,” the female deposits the eggs in a pouch in the male where they are fertilized and grow.
The seahorse mating ritual is actually quite complex, with the male and female changing colors and swimming together in what looks like a well-choreographed dance. The copulation doesn’t happen until the end of the ritual. Once the eggs are successfully inserted in the male, he carries them for ten to forty-five days before giving birth to as many as several hundred baby seahorses.
The male can then breed again almost immediately.
Knowing this might not help men win arguments with their female partners…
But it is pretty neat to know that some males in the animal kingdom do know what it’s like to give birth.