.
|
Pocock's illustration
of the thylacine scrotum and S-shaped, flaccid penis (which curiously,
does not depict the glans as bifurcate). Source: Pocock,
R., 1926. The external characters of Thylacinus, Sarcophilus
and some related marsupials.
Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1926:
1037-84.
|
|
R. I. Pocock
(1926), in his paper "The External Characteristics of Thylacinus",
published in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society
states:
"The function of
the scrotal pouch is to prevent the violent swinging of the scrotum which
would take place if there was no restraint upon its movement when the Thylacine
was in swift pursuit of its prey. That injury to the testes might
result from this swinging is suggested by the length and slenderness of
the stalk-like proximal portion of the scrotum by which the globular, testicular
distal portion is suspended from the abdomen. Although in the Thylacinus
the scrotal pouch both in its structure and position recalls the mammary
pouch of the female, it is doubtful, in my opinion, if the two can be regarded
as homologous
structures".
In all likelihood, a
combination of both functions seems likely; i.e., that of thermoregulation
and
testicular protection. |
