Author(s): John A. Long

Science

No doubt about it, sex sells. From homosexual penguins, lesbian ostriches to necrophiliac snakes and fellating fruitbats, it's all here in this unusual little book.
Dr John Long discovered the Gogo Fish. What's that you say? It's a 380-million-year-old fossilised armoured shark-like fish replete with a perfectly preserved embryo still attached by an umbilical cord. The Gogo is described as the oldest mother in the world and its discovery three years ago has pretty much rewritten evolutionary history. His find showed the first evidence of sexual behaviour in the prehistoric past. More fossils were discovered in the Kimberley region of WA that showed strange spiky and bony willies of the first jawed vertebrates. Yes, there are huge implications for us two-legged mammals as these todgers are the alleged precursors to the modern penis. So what's this book about? It's a scientific but engaging look at how and why animals first became 'intimate' and where sex fits into the whole evolution theory. From the 42.5cm willy of the male Argentine duck to how snails and spiders reproduce - this is a fascinating book about, well, sex. John's broader coverage of the evolution of sexual intimacy in the animal kingdom demonstrates that the gap between human and animal behaviour is not as large as many of you might have thought. Like an eagle up high looking down, such breathtaking views of evolution can only be appreciated by taking a very big step backwards from the primates to the primeval beginnings of our vertebrate line. Without wishing to sound like a peeping Tom, I hope you enjoy the view.