How can testes be housed in the body without damaging sperm?









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The testicle or testis is the male reproductive gland in all animals, including you humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testosterone. Approximately 300 million sperm cells are produced daily, with millions made every minute. Your testicles are housed outside the body, and are therefore very vulnerable to extrmeties.



I would like to create my own humanoid species without this design flaw, but modeled off of your species, and have the testes inside the body rather than out. However, there is a problem. Too much heat is deadly to sperm. The body's temperature would kill the millions of sperm being produced, effectively making males sterile.



How can I get past this conundrum?










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  • 17




    Am I missing something that makes "have the sperm be heat resistant" not the answer?
    – RonJohn
    yesterday






  • 8




    Worth noting: we do not yet understand why spermatogenesis occurs best at temperatures below body temperature. There's several competing theories, but its still a mystery.
    – Cort Ammon
    yesterday






  • 1




    @MonkeyZeus If there was a lot of low to the ground testy consuming predators, then logically people would evolve to have them internalized.
    – Trevor D
    yesterday










  • @Cort Ammon - any reference to what the leading theories are? Seems odd that this one particular function (of all the hundreds or thousands of other) would need such special treatment.
    – Mike Wise
    yesterday










  • Ah, the old honeybadger defense tactic.
    – Flater
    20 hours ago















up vote
5
down vote

favorite












The testicle or testis is the male reproductive gland in all animals, including you humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testosterone. Approximately 300 million sperm cells are produced daily, with millions made every minute. Your testicles are housed outside the body, and are therefore very vulnerable to extrmeties.



I would like to create my own humanoid species without this design flaw, but modeled off of your species, and have the testes inside the body rather than out. However, there is a problem. Too much heat is deadly to sperm. The body's temperature would kill the millions of sperm being produced, effectively making males sterile.



How can I get past this conundrum?










share|improve this question

















  • 17




    Am I missing something that makes "have the sperm be heat resistant" not the answer?
    – RonJohn
    yesterday






  • 8




    Worth noting: we do not yet understand why spermatogenesis occurs best at temperatures below body temperature. There's several competing theories, but its still a mystery.
    – Cort Ammon
    yesterday






  • 1




    @MonkeyZeus If there was a lot of low to the ground testy consuming predators, then logically people would evolve to have them internalized.
    – Trevor D
    yesterday










  • @Cort Ammon - any reference to what the leading theories are? Seems odd that this one particular function (of all the hundreds or thousands of other) would need such special treatment.
    – Mike Wise
    yesterday










  • Ah, the old honeybadger defense tactic.
    – Flater
    20 hours ago













up vote
5
down vote

favorite









up vote
5
down vote

favorite











The testicle or testis is the male reproductive gland in all animals, including you humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testosterone. Approximately 300 million sperm cells are produced daily, with millions made every minute. Your testicles are housed outside the body, and are therefore very vulnerable to extrmeties.



I would like to create my own humanoid species without this design flaw, but modeled off of your species, and have the testes inside the body rather than out. However, there is a problem. Too much heat is deadly to sperm. The body's temperature would kill the millions of sperm being produced, effectively making males sterile.



How can I get past this conundrum?










share|improve this question













The testicle or testis is the male reproductive gland in all animals, including you humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testosterone. Approximately 300 million sperm cells are produced daily, with millions made every minute. Your testicles are housed outside the body, and are therefore very vulnerable to extrmeties.



I would like to create my own humanoid species without this design flaw, but modeled off of your species, and have the testes inside the body rather than out. However, there is a problem. Too much heat is deadly to sperm. The body's temperature would kill the millions of sperm being produced, effectively making males sterile.



How can I get past this conundrum?







biology science






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asked yesterday









Incognito

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3,69553351







  • 17




    Am I missing something that makes "have the sperm be heat resistant" not the answer?
    – RonJohn
    yesterday






  • 8




    Worth noting: we do not yet understand why spermatogenesis occurs best at temperatures below body temperature. There's several competing theories, but its still a mystery.
    – Cort Ammon
    yesterday






  • 1




    @MonkeyZeus If there was a lot of low to the ground testy consuming predators, then logically people would evolve to have them internalized.
    – Trevor D
    yesterday










  • @Cort Ammon - any reference to what the leading theories are? Seems odd that this one particular function (of all the hundreds or thousands of other) would need such special treatment.
    – Mike Wise
    yesterday










  • Ah, the old honeybadger defense tactic.
    – Flater
    20 hours ago













  • 17




    Am I missing something that makes "have the sperm be heat resistant" not the answer?
    – RonJohn
    yesterday






  • 8




    Worth noting: we do not yet understand why spermatogenesis occurs best at temperatures below body temperature. There's several competing theories, but its still a mystery.
    – Cort Ammon
    yesterday






  • 1




    @MonkeyZeus If there was a lot of low to the ground testy consuming predators, then logically people would evolve to have them internalized.
    – Trevor D
    yesterday










  • @Cort Ammon - any reference to what the leading theories are? Seems odd that this one particular function (of all the hundreds or thousands of other) would need such special treatment.
    – Mike Wise
    yesterday










  • Ah, the old honeybadger defense tactic.
    – Flater
    20 hours ago








17




17




Am I missing something that makes "have the sperm be heat resistant" not the answer?
– RonJohn
yesterday




Am I missing something that makes "have the sperm be heat resistant" not the answer?
– RonJohn
yesterday




8




8




Worth noting: we do not yet understand why spermatogenesis occurs best at temperatures below body temperature. There's several competing theories, but its still a mystery.
– Cort Ammon
yesterday




Worth noting: we do not yet understand why spermatogenesis occurs best at temperatures below body temperature. There's several competing theories, but its still a mystery.
– Cort Ammon
yesterday




1




1




@MonkeyZeus If there was a lot of low to the ground testy consuming predators, then logically people would evolve to have them internalized.
– Trevor D
yesterday




@MonkeyZeus If there was a lot of low to the ground testy consuming predators, then logically people would evolve to have them internalized.
– Trevor D
yesterday












@Cort Ammon - any reference to what the leading theories are? Seems odd that this one particular function (of all the hundreds or thousands of other) would need such special treatment.
– Mike Wise
yesterday




@Cort Ammon - any reference to what the leading theories are? Seems odd that this one particular function (of all the hundreds or thousands of other) would need such special treatment.
– Mike Wise
yesterday












Ah, the old honeybadger defense tactic.
– Flater
20 hours ago





Ah, the old honeybadger defense tactic.
– Flater
20 hours ago











7 Answers
7






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
24
down vote














However, there is a problem. Too much heat is deadly to sperm. The body's temperature would kill the millions of sperm being produced, effectively making males sterile.



How can I get past this conundrum?




By doing what nature does with species that have internal testes but need to keep the sperm from dying of excess heat.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testicle#Internal




The basal condition for mammals is to have internal testes.[25] The testes of the non-boreotherian mammals, such as the monotremes, armadillos, sloths, and elephants, remain within the abdomen.[not in citation given][26] There are also some marsupials with external testes[27] and Boreoeutherian mammals with internal testes, such as the rhinoceros.[28] Cetaceans such as whales and dolphins also have internal testes.[29] As external testes would increase drag in the water they have internal testes which are kept cool by special circulatory systems that cool the arterial blood going to the testes by placing the arteries near veins bringing cooled venous blood from the skin.[30][31]







share|improve this answer



























    up vote
    8
    down vote













    Humans already have the ability (though unconscious mostly) to extend and retract their testicles. So just increase this ability so you can retract all the way inside yourself, and they only descend when aroused, therefore they start producing sperm at that time. You could add some sort of sphincter muscle that closes behind them and protects them when stressed so it's still an automated biological response. Technically you would not be damaging the sperm because they simply aren't being created while the testicles are being stored.



    Mating rituals would be modified to last an hour or so to allow a large enough number of sperm to be created before they are needed.






    share|improve this answer


















    • 4




      Sumo fighters can retract them all the way on demand. Usually before fight — given how their wardrobe works this is a requirement, not an option.
      – Mołot
      yesterday






    • 4




      @Mołot I suddenly have even more respect for those guys
      – Trevor D
      yesterday






    • 1




      straightdope.com/columns/read/73/… Not sure if this is a correct source, that debunks the myth
      – TCSGrad
      yesterday






    • 3




      @TrevorD: The process takes about 35-40 days, not a matter of minutes or hours.
      – R..
      yesterday











    • @R.. Then make the ritual take weeks. Paternal leave suddenly means something totally different, means your off performing a month long ritual to get your wife pregnant. There's a ton of potential storylines just around that.
      – Trevor D
      14 hours ago

















    up vote
    6
    down vote













    Just do what marine mammals do: keep them well inside the body!



    enter image description here



    This article describes some ancient research that revealed that cetaceans keep their testes cool by a curious arrangement of blood vessels in that region. Basically, your humans could do the same: develop a network of blood vessels designed to locally regulate the temperature of the tissues surrounding the testes.






    share|improve this answer



























      up vote
      4
      down vote













      For your reading pleasure: Temperature regulation of the testes of the bottlenose dolphin
      (Tursiops truncatus): evidence from colonic temperatures




      Dolphins possess a countercurrent heat exchanger
      that functions to cool their intra-abdominal
      testes
      . Spermatic arteries in the posterior abdomen are
      juxtaposed to veins returning cooled blood from the surfaces
      of the dorsal fin and flukes




      Yes, there are diagrams.






      share|improve this answer



























        up vote
        0
        down vote













        Your post is based on the assumption that testes evolved to keep sperm cool. There is actually no evidence for this. It could well be the opposite, that sperm evolved to like it cooler because it's in the testes.



        Given how much of a vulnerability testes (not just the final form, also how they develop) are, it seems much more economical to evolve sperm with higher heat resistance. Elephants and birds, for instance, have a high body temperature and no respective cooling mechanism.



        Testes evolved independently in marsupials and placentals, so they seem to be solving an important problem. But if that problem was temperature, then birds and elephants should have them, too.



        TLDR: The cooling problem is easily solved, but we don't really know why humanoids (in particular) need testes, so your species might suffer from other problems.






        share|improve this answer



























          up vote
          0
          down vote













          For a humanoid species (that is, bipedal but not related to homo sapiens) you really don't have to worry. You can just make testicles internal. We have no good idea why Earth mammals commonly, but not always, have external testes. Therefore we have to reason to generalise and expect external testicles in all bipedal body plans.



          The heat hypothesis is popular in pop-sci articles but has no useful evidence nor mechanisms to explain its evolution. For starters: mammals begin 220 million years ago and the scrotum evolves twice in lineages about 70 and 100 million years later, so we have many millions of years of hot, internal testicles to explain.



          For my money, the better bet is that testicles are damaged by the fluctuating abdominal pressures of running and galloping mammals (usefully aligns with current populations of scrotum/not-scrotum mammals and the rough evolution of these gaits).



          Therefore you can explain that this species didn't evolve such fragile reproductive organs, or that they are located in a protective casing of some sort.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          Mark_Anderson is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.
























            up vote
            -1
            down vote













            Yes, yes, whales, dolphins; just so. Cool blood - very sensible.
            But air is cooler than blood.
            I propose the testes be located where they can be cooled by that cool cool air.



            mumps
            source



            This local is optimally suited to provide varying flows of cooling air. Mouthbreathing can facilitate cooling of the testicles under conditions of heat; conversely nosebreathing in cold weather will keep the testicles warmer.



            Relocation of the sperm producing organs to this site would also mean that the male penis (also prone to damage in an exposed area) would not be necessary, and urinary apparatus could be relocated back into the safety of the bony pelvis - along the lines of the much more sensible human female body plan.






            share|improve this answer




















            • Air is much less dense than water, and thus cools less effectively. More importantly, a stuffed nose in the winter results in mouth breathing.
              – RonJohn
              14 hours ago










            • @RonJohn - heat cannot be destroyed, only moved from place to place. When your own body cools itself, what then warms up? I am not talking about when you are swimming.
              – Willk
              6 hours ago











            • "only moved from place to place". Denser materials do that moving much more efficiently than less dense materials. That's why testicles in the (warm) mouth cooled by air is less efficient than testicles in the warm body cooled by less warm blood.
              – RonJohn
              6 hours ago










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            7 Answers
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            up vote
            24
            down vote














            However, there is a problem. Too much heat is deadly to sperm. The body's temperature would kill the millions of sperm being produced, effectively making males sterile.



            How can I get past this conundrum?




            By doing what nature does with species that have internal testes but need to keep the sperm from dying of excess heat.



            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testicle#Internal




            The basal condition for mammals is to have internal testes.[25] The testes of the non-boreotherian mammals, such as the monotremes, armadillos, sloths, and elephants, remain within the abdomen.[not in citation given][26] There are also some marsupials with external testes[27] and Boreoeutherian mammals with internal testes, such as the rhinoceros.[28] Cetaceans such as whales and dolphins also have internal testes.[29] As external testes would increase drag in the water they have internal testes which are kept cool by special circulatory systems that cool the arterial blood going to the testes by placing the arteries near veins bringing cooled venous blood from the skin.[30][31]







            share|improve this answer
























              up vote
              24
              down vote














              However, there is a problem. Too much heat is deadly to sperm. The body's temperature would kill the millions of sperm being produced, effectively making males sterile.



              How can I get past this conundrum?




              By doing what nature does with species that have internal testes but need to keep the sperm from dying of excess heat.



              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testicle#Internal




              The basal condition for mammals is to have internal testes.[25] The testes of the non-boreotherian mammals, such as the monotremes, armadillos, sloths, and elephants, remain within the abdomen.[not in citation given][26] There are also some marsupials with external testes[27] and Boreoeutherian mammals with internal testes, such as the rhinoceros.[28] Cetaceans such as whales and dolphins also have internal testes.[29] As external testes would increase drag in the water they have internal testes which are kept cool by special circulatory systems that cool the arterial blood going to the testes by placing the arteries near veins bringing cooled venous blood from the skin.[30][31]







              share|improve this answer






















                up vote
                24
                down vote










                up vote
                24
                down vote










                However, there is a problem. Too much heat is deadly to sperm. The body's temperature would kill the millions of sperm being produced, effectively making males sterile.



                How can I get past this conundrum?




                By doing what nature does with species that have internal testes but need to keep the sperm from dying of excess heat.



                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testicle#Internal




                The basal condition for mammals is to have internal testes.[25] The testes of the non-boreotherian mammals, such as the monotremes, armadillos, sloths, and elephants, remain within the abdomen.[not in citation given][26] There are also some marsupials with external testes[27] and Boreoeutherian mammals with internal testes, such as the rhinoceros.[28] Cetaceans such as whales and dolphins also have internal testes.[29] As external testes would increase drag in the water they have internal testes which are kept cool by special circulatory systems that cool the arterial blood going to the testes by placing the arteries near veins bringing cooled venous blood from the skin.[30][31]







                share|improve this answer













                However, there is a problem. Too much heat is deadly to sperm. The body's temperature would kill the millions of sperm being produced, effectively making males sterile.



                How can I get past this conundrum?




                By doing what nature does with species that have internal testes but need to keep the sperm from dying of excess heat.



                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testicle#Internal




                The basal condition for mammals is to have internal testes.[25] The testes of the non-boreotherian mammals, such as the monotremes, armadillos, sloths, and elephants, remain within the abdomen.[not in citation given][26] There are also some marsupials with external testes[27] and Boreoeutherian mammals with internal testes, such as the rhinoceros.[28] Cetaceans such as whales and dolphins also have internal testes.[29] As external testes would increase drag in the water they have internal testes which are kept cool by special circulatory systems that cool the arterial blood going to the testes by placing the arteries near veins bringing cooled venous blood from the skin.[30][31]








                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered yesterday









                RonJohn

                14.2k12767




                14.2k12767




















                    up vote
                    8
                    down vote













                    Humans already have the ability (though unconscious mostly) to extend and retract their testicles. So just increase this ability so you can retract all the way inside yourself, and they only descend when aroused, therefore they start producing sperm at that time. You could add some sort of sphincter muscle that closes behind them and protects them when stressed so it's still an automated biological response. Technically you would not be damaging the sperm because they simply aren't being created while the testicles are being stored.



                    Mating rituals would be modified to last an hour or so to allow a large enough number of sperm to be created before they are needed.






                    share|improve this answer


















                    • 4




                      Sumo fighters can retract them all the way on demand. Usually before fight — given how their wardrobe works this is a requirement, not an option.
                      – Mołot
                      yesterday






                    • 4




                      @Mołot I suddenly have even more respect for those guys
                      – Trevor D
                      yesterday






                    • 1




                      straightdope.com/columns/read/73/… Not sure if this is a correct source, that debunks the myth
                      – TCSGrad
                      yesterday






                    • 3




                      @TrevorD: The process takes about 35-40 days, not a matter of minutes or hours.
                      – R..
                      yesterday











                    • @R.. Then make the ritual take weeks. Paternal leave suddenly means something totally different, means your off performing a month long ritual to get your wife pregnant. There's a ton of potential storylines just around that.
                      – Trevor D
                      14 hours ago














                    up vote
                    8
                    down vote













                    Humans already have the ability (though unconscious mostly) to extend and retract their testicles. So just increase this ability so you can retract all the way inside yourself, and they only descend when aroused, therefore they start producing sperm at that time. You could add some sort of sphincter muscle that closes behind them and protects them when stressed so it's still an automated biological response. Technically you would not be damaging the sperm because they simply aren't being created while the testicles are being stored.



                    Mating rituals would be modified to last an hour or so to allow a large enough number of sperm to be created before they are needed.






                    share|improve this answer


















                    • 4




                      Sumo fighters can retract them all the way on demand. Usually before fight — given how their wardrobe works this is a requirement, not an option.
                      – Mołot
                      yesterday






                    • 4




                      @Mołot I suddenly have even more respect for those guys
                      – Trevor D
                      yesterday






                    • 1




                      straightdope.com/columns/read/73/… Not sure if this is a correct source, that debunks the myth
                      – TCSGrad
                      yesterday






                    • 3




                      @TrevorD: The process takes about 35-40 days, not a matter of minutes or hours.
                      – R..
                      yesterday











                    • @R.. Then make the ritual take weeks. Paternal leave suddenly means something totally different, means your off performing a month long ritual to get your wife pregnant. There's a ton of potential storylines just around that.
                      – Trevor D
                      14 hours ago












                    up vote
                    8
                    down vote










                    up vote
                    8
                    down vote









                    Humans already have the ability (though unconscious mostly) to extend and retract their testicles. So just increase this ability so you can retract all the way inside yourself, and they only descend when aroused, therefore they start producing sperm at that time. You could add some sort of sphincter muscle that closes behind them and protects them when stressed so it's still an automated biological response. Technically you would not be damaging the sperm because they simply aren't being created while the testicles are being stored.



                    Mating rituals would be modified to last an hour or so to allow a large enough number of sperm to be created before they are needed.






                    share|improve this answer














                    Humans already have the ability (though unconscious mostly) to extend and retract their testicles. So just increase this ability so you can retract all the way inside yourself, and they only descend when aroused, therefore they start producing sperm at that time. You could add some sort of sphincter muscle that closes behind them and protects them when stressed so it's still an automated biological response. Technically you would not be damaging the sperm because they simply aren't being created while the testicles are being stored.



                    Mating rituals would be modified to last an hour or so to allow a large enough number of sperm to be created before they are needed.







                    share|improve this answer














                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer








                    edited yesterday

























                    answered yesterday









                    Trevor D

                    87410




                    87410







                    • 4




                      Sumo fighters can retract them all the way on demand. Usually before fight — given how their wardrobe works this is a requirement, not an option.
                      – Mołot
                      yesterday






                    • 4




                      @Mołot I suddenly have even more respect for those guys
                      – Trevor D
                      yesterday






                    • 1




                      straightdope.com/columns/read/73/… Not sure if this is a correct source, that debunks the myth
                      – TCSGrad
                      yesterday






                    • 3




                      @TrevorD: The process takes about 35-40 days, not a matter of minutes or hours.
                      – R..
                      yesterday











                    • @R.. Then make the ritual take weeks. Paternal leave suddenly means something totally different, means your off performing a month long ritual to get your wife pregnant. There's a ton of potential storylines just around that.
                      – Trevor D
                      14 hours ago












                    • 4




                      Sumo fighters can retract them all the way on demand. Usually before fight — given how their wardrobe works this is a requirement, not an option.
                      – Mołot
                      yesterday






                    • 4




                      @Mołot I suddenly have even more respect for those guys
                      – Trevor D
                      yesterday






                    • 1




                      straightdope.com/columns/read/73/… Not sure if this is a correct source, that debunks the myth
                      – TCSGrad
                      yesterday






                    • 3




                      @TrevorD: The process takes about 35-40 days, not a matter of minutes or hours.
                      – R..
                      yesterday











                    • @R.. Then make the ritual take weeks. Paternal leave suddenly means something totally different, means your off performing a month long ritual to get your wife pregnant. There's a ton of potential storylines just around that.
                      – Trevor D
                      14 hours ago







                    4




                    4




                    Sumo fighters can retract them all the way on demand. Usually before fight — given how their wardrobe works this is a requirement, not an option.
                    – Mołot
                    yesterday




                    Sumo fighters can retract them all the way on demand. Usually before fight — given how their wardrobe works this is a requirement, not an option.
                    – Mołot
                    yesterday




                    4




                    4




                    @Mołot I suddenly have even more respect for those guys
                    – Trevor D
                    yesterday




                    @Mołot I suddenly have even more respect for those guys
                    – Trevor D
                    yesterday




                    1




                    1




                    straightdope.com/columns/read/73/… Not sure if this is a correct source, that debunks the myth
                    – TCSGrad
                    yesterday




                    straightdope.com/columns/read/73/… Not sure if this is a correct source, that debunks the myth
                    – TCSGrad
                    yesterday




                    3




                    3




                    @TrevorD: The process takes about 35-40 days, not a matter of minutes or hours.
                    – R..
                    yesterday





                    @TrevorD: The process takes about 35-40 days, not a matter of minutes or hours.
                    – R..
                    yesterday













                    @R.. Then make the ritual take weeks. Paternal leave suddenly means something totally different, means your off performing a month long ritual to get your wife pregnant. There's a ton of potential storylines just around that.
                    – Trevor D
                    14 hours ago




                    @R.. Then make the ritual take weeks. Paternal leave suddenly means something totally different, means your off performing a month long ritual to get your wife pregnant. There's a ton of potential storylines just around that.
                    – Trevor D
                    14 hours ago










                    up vote
                    6
                    down vote













                    Just do what marine mammals do: keep them well inside the body!



                    enter image description here



                    This article describes some ancient research that revealed that cetaceans keep their testes cool by a curious arrangement of blood vessels in that region. Basically, your humans could do the same: develop a network of blood vessels designed to locally regulate the temperature of the tissues surrounding the testes.






                    share|improve this answer
























                      up vote
                      6
                      down vote













                      Just do what marine mammals do: keep them well inside the body!



                      enter image description here



                      This article describes some ancient research that revealed that cetaceans keep their testes cool by a curious arrangement of blood vessels in that region. Basically, your humans could do the same: develop a network of blood vessels designed to locally regulate the temperature of the tissues surrounding the testes.






                      share|improve this answer






















                        up vote
                        6
                        down vote










                        up vote
                        6
                        down vote









                        Just do what marine mammals do: keep them well inside the body!



                        enter image description here



                        This article describes some ancient research that revealed that cetaceans keep their testes cool by a curious arrangement of blood vessels in that region. Basically, your humans could do the same: develop a network of blood vessels designed to locally regulate the temperature of the tissues surrounding the testes.






                        share|improve this answer












                        Just do what marine mammals do: keep them well inside the body!



                        enter image description here



                        This article describes some ancient research that revealed that cetaceans keep their testes cool by a curious arrangement of blood vessels in that region. Basically, your humans could do the same: develop a network of blood vessels designed to locally regulate the temperature of the tissues surrounding the testes.







                        share|improve this answer












                        share|improve this answer



                        share|improve this answer










                        answered yesterday









                        elemtilas

                        9,37521948




                        9,37521948




















                            up vote
                            4
                            down vote













                            For your reading pleasure: Temperature regulation of the testes of the bottlenose dolphin
                            (Tursiops truncatus): evidence from colonic temperatures




                            Dolphins possess a countercurrent heat exchanger
                            that functions to cool their intra-abdominal
                            testes
                            . Spermatic arteries in the posterior abdomen are
                            juxtaposed to veins returning cooled blood from the surfaces
                            of the dorsal fin and flukes




                            Yes, there are diagrams.






                            share|improve this answer
























                              up vote
                              4
                              down vote













                              For your reading pleasure: Temperature regulation of the testes of the bottlenose dolphin
                              (Tursiops truncatus): evidence from colonic temperatures




                              Dolphins possess a countercurrent heat exchanger
                              that functions to cool their intra-abdominal
                              testes
                              . Spermatic arteries in the posterior abdomen are
                              juxtaposed to veins returning cooled blood from the surfaces
                              of the dorsal fin and flukes




                              Yes, there are diagrams.






                              share|improve this answer






















                                up vote
                                4
                                down vote










                                up vote
                                4
                                down vote









                                For your reading pleasure: Temperature regulation of the testes of the bottlenose dolphin
                                (Tursiops truncatus): evidence from colonic temperatures




                                Dolphins possess a countercurrent heat exchanger
                                that functions to cool their intra-abdominal
                                testes
                                . Spermatic arteries in the posterior abdomen are
                                juxtaposed to veins returning cooled blood from the surfaces
                                of the dorsal fin and flukes




                                Yes, there are diagrams.






                                share|improve this answer












                                For your reading pleasure: Temperature regulation of the testes of the bottlenose dolphin
                                (Tursiops truncatus): evidence from colonic temperatures




                                Dolphins possess a countercurrent heat exchanger
                                that functions to cool their intra-abdominal
                                testes
                                . Spermatic arteries in the posterior abdomen are
                                juxtaposed to veins returning cooled blood from the surfaces
                                of the dorsal fin and flukes




                                Yes, there are diagrams.







                                share|improve this answer












                                share|improve this answer



                                share|improve this answer










                                answered yesterday









                                Roger

                                1,1308




                                1,1308




















                                    up vote
                                    0
                                    down vote













                                    Your post is based on the assumption that testes evolved to keep sperm cool. There is actually no evidence for this. It could well be the opposite, that sperm evolved to like it cooler because it's in the testes.



                                    Given how much of a vulnerability testes (not just the final form, also how they develop) are, it seems much more economical to evolve sperm with higher heat resistance. Elephants and birds, for instance, have a high body temperature and no respective cooling mechanism.



                                    Testes evolved independently in marsupials and placentals, so they seem to be solving an important problem. But if that problem was temperature, then birds and elephants should have them, too.



                                    TLDR: The cooling problem is easily solved, but we don't really know why humanoids (in particular) need testes, so your species might suffer from other problems.






                                    share|improve this answer
























                                      up vote
                                      0
                                      down vote













                                      Your post is based on the assumption that testes evolved to keep sperm cool. There is actually no evidence for this. It could well be the opposite, that sperm evolved to like it cooler because it's in the testes.



                                      Given how much of a vulnerability testes (not just the final form, also how they develop) are, it seems much more economical to evolve sperm with higher heat resistance. Elephants and birds, for instance, have a high body temperature and no respective cooling mechanism.



                                      Testes evolved independently in marsupials and placentals, so they seem to be solving an important problem. But if that problem was temperature, then birds and elephants should have them, too.



                                      TLDR: The cooling problem is easily solved, but we don't really know why humanoids (in particular) need testes, so your species might suffer from other problems.






                                      share|improve this answer






















                                        up vote
                                        0
                                        down vote










                                        up vote
                                        0
                                        down vote









                                        Your post is based on the assumption that testes evolved to keep sperm cool. There is actually no evidence for this. It could well be the opposite, that sperm evolved to like it cooler because it's in the testes.



                                        Given how much of a vulnerability testes (not just the final form, also how they develop) are, it seems much more economical to evolve sperm with higher heat resistance. Elephants and birds, for instance, have a high body temperature and no respective cooling mechanism.



                                        Testes evolved independently in marsupials and placentals, so they seem to be solving an important problem. But if that problem was temperature, then birds and elephants should have them, too.



                                        TLDR: The cooling problem is easily solved, but we don't really know why humanoids (in particular) need testes, so your species might suffer from other problems.






                                        share|improve this answer












                                        Your post is based on the assumption that testes evolved to keep sperm cool. There is actually no evidence for this. It could well be the opposite, that sperm evolved to like it cooler because it's in the testes.



                                        Given how much of a vulnerability testes (not just the final form, also how they develop) are, it seems much more economical to evolve sperm with higher heat resistance. Elephants and birds, for instance, have a high body temperature and no respective cooling mechanism.



                                        Testes evolved independently in marsupials and placentals, so they seem to be solving an important problem. But if that problem was temperature, then birds and elephants should have them, too.



                                        TLDR: The cooling problem is easily solved, but we don't really know why humanoids (in particular) need testes, so your species might suffer from other problems.







                                        share|improve this answer












                                        share|improve this answer



                                        share|improve this answer










                                        answered 14 hours ago









                                        Cephalopod

                                        20115




                                        20115




















                                            up vote
                                            0
                                            down vote













                                            For a humanoid species (that is, bipedal but not related to homo sapiens) you really don't have to worry. You can just make testicles internal. We have no good idea why Earth mammals commonly, but not always, have external testes. Therefore we have to reason to generalise and expect external testicles in all bipedal body plans.



                                            The heat hypothesis is popular in pop-sci articles but has no useful evidence nor mechanisms to explain its evolution. For starters: mammals begin 220 million years ago and the scrotum evolves twice in lineages about 70 and 100 million years later, so we have many millions of years of hot, internal testicles to explain.



                                            For my money, the better bet is that testicles are damaged by the fluctuating abdominal pressures of running and galloping mammals (usefully aligns with current populations of scrotum/not-scrotum mammals and the rough evolution of these gaits).



                                            Therefore you can explain that this species didn't evolve such fragile reproductive organs, or that they are located in a protective casing of some sort.






                                            share|improve this answer








                                            New contributor




                                            Mark_Anderson is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                            Check out our Code of Conduct.





















                                              up vote
                                              0
                                              down vote













                                              For a humanoid species (that is, bipedal but not related to homo sapiens) you really don't have to worry. You can just make testicles internal. We have no good idea why Earth mammals commonly, but not always, have external testes. Therefore we have to reason to generalise and expect external testicles in all bipedal body plans.



                                              The heat hypothesis is popular in pop-sci articles but has no useful evidence nor mechanisms to explain its evolution. For starters: mammals begin 220 million years ago and the scrotum evolves twice in lineages about 70 and 100 million years later, so we have many millions of years of hot, internal testicles to explain.



                                              For my money, the better bet is that testicles are damaged by the fluctuating abdominal pressures of running and galloping mammals (usefully aligns with current populations of scrotum/not-scrotum mammals and the rough evolution of these gaits).



                                              Therefore you can explain that this species didn't evolve such fragile reproductive organs, or that they are located in a protective casing of some sort.






                                              share|improve this answer








                                              New contributor




                                              Mark_Anderson is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                              Check out our Code of Conduct.



















                                                up vote
                                                0
                                                down vote










                                                up vote
                                                0
                                                down vote









                                                For a humanoid species (that is, bipedal but not related to homo sapiens) you really don't have to worry. You can just make testicles internal. We have no good idea why Earth mammals commonly, but not always, have external testes. Therefore we have to reason to generalise and expect external testicles in all bipedal body plans.



                                                The heat hypothesis is popular in pop-sci articles but has no useful evidence nor mechanisms to explain its evolution. For starters: mammals begin 220 million years ago and the scrotum evolves twice in lineages about 70 and 100 million years later, so we have many millions of years of hot, internal testicles to explain.



                                                For my money, the better bet is that testicles are damaged by the fluctuating abdominal pressures of running and galloping mammals (usefully aligns with current populations of scrotum/not-scrotum mammals and the rough evolution of these gaits).



                                                Therefore you can explain that this species didn't evolve such fragile reproductive organs, or that they are located in a protective casing of some sort.






                                                share|improve this answer








                                                New contributor




                                                Mark_Anderson is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                                Check out our Code of Conduct.









                                                For a humanoid species (that is, bipedal but not related to homo sapiens) you really don't have to worry. You can just make testicles internal. We have no good idea why Earth mammals commonly, but not always, have external testes. Therefore we have to reason to generalise and expect external testicles in all bipedal body plans.



                                                The heat hypothesis is popular in pop-sci articles but has no useful evidence nor mechanisms to explain its evolution. For starters: mammals begin 220 million years ago and the scrotum evolves twice in lineages about 70 and 100 million years later, so we have many millions of years of hot, internal testicles to explain.



                                                For my money, the better bet is that testicles are damaged by the fluctuating abdominal pressures of running and galloping mammals (usefully aligns with current populations of scrotum/not-scrotum mammals and the rough evolution of these gaits).



                                                Therefore you can explain that this species didn't evolve such fragile reproductive organs, or that they are located in a protective casing of some sort.







                                                share|improve this answer








                                                New contributor




                                                Mark_Anderson is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                                Check out our Code of Conduct.









                                                share|improve this answer



                                                share|improve this answer






                                                New contributor




                                                Mark_Anderson is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                                Check out our Code of Conduct.









                                                answered 14 hours ago









                                                Mark_Anderson

                                                1663




                                                1663




                                                New contributor




                                                Mark_Anderson is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                                Check out our Code of Conduct.





                                                New contributor





                                                Mark_Anderson is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                                Check out our Code of Conduct.






                                                Mark_Anderson is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                                Check out our Code of Conduct.




















                                                    up vote
                                                    -1
                                                    down vote













                                                    Yes, yes, whales, dolphins; just so. Cool blood - very sensible.
                                                    But air is cooler than blood.
                                                    I propose the testes be located where they can be cooled by that cool cool air.



                                                    mumps
                                                    source



                                                    This local is optimally suited to provide varying flows of cooling air. Mouthbreathing can facilitate cooling of the testicles under conditions of heat; conversely nosebreathing in cold weather will keep the testicles warmer.



                                                    Relocation of the sperm producing organs to this site would also mean that the male penis (also prone to damage in an exposed area) would not be necessary, and urinary apparatus could be relocated back into the safety of the bony pelvis - along the lines of the much more sensible human female body plan.






                                                    share|improve this answer




















                                                    • Air is much less dense than water, and thus cools less effectively. More importantly, a stuffed nose in the winter results in mouth breathing.
                                                      – RonJohn
                                                      14 hours ago










                                                    • @RonJohn - heat cannot be destroyed, only moved from place to place. When your own body cools itself, what then warms up? I am not talking about when you are swimming.
                                                      – Willk
                                                      6 hours ago











                                                    • "only moved from place to place". Denser materials do that moving much more efficiently than less dense materials. That's why testicles in the (warm) mouth cooled by air is less efficient than testicles in the warm body cooled by less warm blood.
                                                      – RonJohn
                                                      6 hours ago














                                                    up vote
                                                    -1
                                                    down vote













                                                    Yes, yes, whales, dolphins; just so. Cool blood - very sensible.
                                                    But air is cooler than blood.
                                                    I propose the testes be located where they can be cooled by that cool cool air.



                                                    mumps
                                                    source



                                                    This local is optimally suited to provide varying flows of cooling air. Mouthbreathing can facilitate cooling of the testicles under conditions of heat; conversely nosebreathing in cold weather will keep the testicles warmer.



                                                    Relocation of the sperm producing organs to this site would also mean that the male penis (also prone to damage in an exposed area) would not be necessary, and urinary apparatus could be relocated back into the safety of the bony pelvis - along the lines of the much more sensible human female body plan.






                                                    share|improve this answer




















                                                    • Air is much less dense than water, and thus cools less effectively. More importantly, a stuffed nose in the winter results in mouth breathing.
                                                      – RonJohn
                                                      14 hours ago










                                                    • @RonJohn - heat cannot be destroyed, only moved from place to place. When your own body cools itself, what then warms up? I am not talking about when you are swimming.
                                                      – Willk
                                                      6 hours ago











                                                    • "only moved from place to place". Denser materials do that moving much more efficiently than less dense materials. That's why testicles in the (warm) mouth cooled by air is less efficient than testicles in the warm body cooled by less warm blood.
                                                      – RonJohn
                                                      6 hours ago












                                                    up vote
                                                    -1
                                                    down vote










                                                    up vote
                                                    -1
                                                    down vote









                                                    Yes, yes, whales, dolphins; just so. Cool blood - very sensible.
                                                    But air is cooler than blood.
                                                    I propose the testes be located where they can be cooled by that cool cool air.



                                                    mumps
                                                    source



                                                    This local is optimally suited to provide varying flows of cooling air. Mouthbreathing can facilitate cooling of the testicles under conditions of heat; conversely nosebreathing in cold weather will keep the testicles warmer.



                                                    Relocation of the sperm producing organs to this site would also mean that the male penis (also prone to damage in an exposed area) would not be necessary, and urinary apparatus could be relocated back into the safety of the bony pelvis - along the lines of the much more sensible human female body plan.






                                                    share|improve this answer












                                                    Yes, yes, whales, dolphins; just so. Cool blood - very sensible.
                                                    But air is cooler than blood.
                                                    I propose the testes be located where they can be cooled by that cool cool air.



                                                    mumps
                                                    source



                                                    This local is optimally suited to provide varying flows of cooling air. Mouthbreathing can facilitate cooling of the testicles under conditions of heat; conversely nosebreathing in cold weather will keep the testicles warmer.



                                                    Relocation of the sperm producing organs to this site would also mean that the male penis (also prone to damage in an exposed area) would not be necessary, and urinary apparatus could be relocated back into the safety of the bony pelvis - along the lines of the much more sensible human female body plan.







                                                    share|improve this answer












                                                    share|improve this answer



                                                    share|improve this answer










                                                    answered 14 hours ago









                                                    Willk

                                                    95.4k25187405




                                                    95.4k25187405











                                                    • Air is much less dense than water, and thus cools less effectively. More importantly, a stuffed nose in the winter results in mouth breathing.
                                                      – RonJohn
                                                      14 hours ago










                                                    • @RonJohn - heat cannot be destroyed, only moved from place to place. When your own body cools itself, what then warms up? I am not talking about when you are swimming.
                                                      – Willk
                                                      6 hours ago











                                                    • "only moved from place to place". Denser materials do that moving much more efficiently than less dense materials. That's why testicles in the (warm) mouth cooled by air is less efficient than testicles in the warm body cooled by less warm blood.
                                                      – RonJohn
                                                      6 hours ago
















                                                    • Air is much less dense than water, and thus cools less effectively. More importantly, a stuffed nose in the winter results in mouth breathing.
                                                      – RonJohn
                                                      14 hours ago










                                                    • @RonJohn - heat cannot be destroyed, only moved from place to place. When your own body cools itself, what then warms up? I am not talking about when you are swimming.
                                                      – Willk
                                                      6 hours ago











                                                    • "only moved from place to place". Denser materials do that moving much more efficiently than less dense materials. That's why testicles in the (warm) mouth cooled by air is less efficient than testicles in the warm body cooled by less warm blood.
                                                      – RonJohn
                                                      6 hours ago















                                                    Air is much less dense than water, and thus cools less effectively. More importantly, a stuffed nose in the winter results in mouth breathing.
                                                    – RonJohn
                                                    14 hours ago




                                                    Air is much less dense than water, and thus cools less effectively. More importantly, a stuffed nose in the winter results in mouth breathing.
                                                    – RonJohn
                                                    14 hours ago












                                                    @RonJohn - heat cannot be destroyed, only moved from place to place. When your own body cools itself, what then warms up? I am not talking about when you are swimming.
                                                    – Willk
                                                    6 hours ago





                                                    @RonJohn - heat cannot be destroyed, only moved from place to place. When your own body cools itself, what then warms up? I am not talking about when you are swimming.
                                                    – Willk
                                                    6 hours ago













                                                    "only moved from place to place". Denser materials do that moving much more efficiently than less dense materials. That's why testicles in the (warm) mouth cooled by air is less efficient than testicles in the warm body cooled by less warm blood.
                                                    – RonJohn
                                                    6 hours ago




                                                    "only moved from place to place". Denser materials do that moving much more efficiently than less dense materials. That's why testicles in the (warm) mouth cooled by air is less efficient than testicles in the warm body cooled by less warm blood.
                                                    – RonJohn
                                                    6 hours ago

















                                                     

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