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twitter commission!
I am very tempted to draw more Charm in this form
Maybe with more details.
as a biology major something i find interesting is that the h slur used against intersex people isn’t even biologically correct. tw for me using the full word in this post. note that i am NOT using this to describe humans in any way in this post. i will NEVER use it to describe any organism to which it does not apply, especially humans. i am using it in its proper, biological context to explain its use and actual meaning. basically this mostly describes a lot of worms though they’re not the only animals that exist that are described this way. they’re just the ones with the most examples and the ones i actually know about. any examples i mention in this post will be under the “read more” of this post if i’ve done it correctly so that it doesn’t distract from my point. note that for the non-human organisms i mention i will be referring to two sexes. this is about those animals, not me claiming there’s only two completely distinct sexes in humans. that’s a whole separate conversation that i’m not really qualified to talk about.
the proper use of the word “hermaphrodite/hermaphroditic/hermaphroditism”, the scientific and non-intersexist use of it, is not a human trait. hermaphroditic animals are only described as this on a species/group/etc level, not an individual one, for starters. it is a morphological trait of a category of animals, not individual organisms. to be described as hermaphroditic animals, it has to be part of their life cycle and how the species typically forms. but there’s more
hermaphroditic animals have, as adults, completely developed and fully functional reproductive systems of both sexes. while there are exceptions in which they must find a mate, they can in general both mate with other individuals or self-copulate viably. and the ones which must find a mate are still fully both sexes. more on this later. hermaphroditism is found in many types of worms, like most digenean trematodes.
it’s not “they have characteristics of multiple sexes” but “they are, entirely, both sexes, and it plays a vital role in their function”
and even in an example in which they must find a mate in order to survive and then reproduce, they still function as both sexes. both systems are fully functional and they trade off which one is fertilizing the other but it’s not like one just stops working or existing. there’s a really cool example of this that we recently talked about in parasitology class, Diplozoon paradoxum.
so not only is “hermaphrodite” an intersexist slur, it is also biologically completely inaccurate to describe a human this way.
it’s an extremely fascinating side of biology, and i love learning about it. but the more i learn the more it frustrates me that anyone would describe a person this way. because, historical and cultural context aside, it is factually completely incorrect from a biological standpoint. i don’t know enough about the cultural history of intersex people to be qualified to speak on that topic. i am not a human biologist, nor do i study this facet of history. i study mainly invertebrates, art history, and antiquity/pre-antiquity of the mediterranean region. i don’t want to speak on this side of the topic as i am not versed in it and will get things wrong. i’d love to know more, though!
lamprey care guide 🪱⚓️🪷
source one | source two | source three | silly lamprey video | mushroom divider | care guide masterlist
first request fulfilled !!! I must say this one gave me a run. I kind of hate leaving it at this, but there aren't many people trying to raise these guys as they are picky eaters once in captivity. I wish I could provide more ! I suppose the best way to interact with this kin would to be to educate yourself on their ecological, historical and cultural significance. the third link is to a conservation initiative where you can contribute to their research !!
<unicorn concept art.
My brother really liked the way I drew this cool creature:D!!
Now I have a new lost soul character yippee:3!!
This guy??????