Title: Inner ear flag/Student questions d'jour
Rob Weisskirch writes:

1.  One student claimed that she heard the cochlea (yes, in the ear) was
larger and more "man-like" in lesbian women.  She admitted that this had
nothing to do with sexual behavior but that she had heard this.  Anyone
heard of this one?

Right body part (cochlea) and correct conclusion, though maybe not for
the reason stated (larger and more "man-like").

Based on results published in March of 1998 in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, here's the info I have from The Boston
Globe, March 5, 1998:

By putting small microphones in the external ear canal, the researchers
were able to measure the echoes that come out in response to a
clicking sound played for subjects in a quiet room.  Women generally
have more sensitive cochleas and respond more powerfully to the
test than men.  Homosexual women had responses weaker than those
of heterosexual women, although not quite as weak as men's,
according to a study of 200 gay and straight women and men.

"The Statistical significance of those differences was well established,"
said Dennis McFadden, lead author of the study and a professor of
experimental psychology at the University of Texas in Austin.  The
reason for the differences, he added, is apparently related to levels of
the male hormone androgen, which is known to affect the development
of the inner ear...

Beth Benoit
University of Massachusetts Lowell

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