Crowd funding and hemipenes

I know its been some time since I've posted a blog- but- it is time!  Why you might ask?  Well primarily because I have a few minutes to catch my breath and more importantly tell you about an exciting project that has been listed on Rockethub for crowd funding.

(If you need an photo to grab your curiosity look no further!)

Photo: C. Gilman (from http://www.rockethub.com/projects/21959-hemipenes-evolutionary-novelty-or-a-new-twist-on-an-old-trick)

This lovely project titled Hemipenes: evolutionary novelty, or a new twist on an old trick will investigate the development of hemi...wait did I say pens? that sounds sort of like 'penis'...  yes hemipens!  That's right two penises!  Lizards happen to have two (as do other squamates) but how do these two functional intermittent organs develop?  Do they develop the same way that a usual 'ol penis does?  Well- my dear friend and labmate Casey Gilman - has a project ready to go to find out!  Stop by her Rockethub page to see her COOL video to learn more!  (For example- do you find yourself curious if they use both at once?  Go to find out by watching Casey's video)!

Why should you care about hemipenes? 

Well according to Casey a PhD candidate at UMass Amherst "Because of differences in general morphology (two versus one), and some observable differences during development, hemipenes have been considered by some to be an evolutionary novelty. However, there is still no agreement about whether hemipenes and the single penis found in other amniotes are homologous (that is, they come from a common ancestor), or are indeed novel."