In August 2007, bidders gathered at the I.M. Chait Gallery in Beverly Hills for what might be the strangest auction lot of the year: a fossilized penis bone from an extinct walrus species. The massive baculum—the scientific term for a penis bone—measured 4½ feet long and ultimately sold for $8,000 (or $9,600 with auction fees). The buyer? Ripley's Believe It or Not, naturally.

This wasn't just any anatomy curiosity. The bone was discovered in Siberia and came from a walrus species that went extinct roughly 12,000 years ago. The auction house believed it to be the largest known fossilized mammal penis bone in existence—a record that's both impressive and oddly specific.

The Baculum: Nature's Built-In Support

Most people don't realize that many mammals have a bone in their penis called a baculum. Walruses, bears, dogs, raccoons, and most primates (except humans) have them. These bones provide structural support during mating, which can be particularly important for species with lengthy or complex reproductive behaviors.

Walrus bacula are especially large because male walruses are enormous creatures—they can weigh up to 4,000 pounds. Their baculum needs to be proportionally substantial. Modern walrus penis bones typically range from 18 to 24 inches, making this 4½-foot fossilized specimen from an extinct species particularly remarkable.

Why Humans Lost Theirs

Humans once had a baculum too. Our evolutionary ancestors possessed one, but we lost it somewhere along our lineage. Scientists theorize this happened as humans developed monogamous mating patterns and shorter copulation times—when you don't need marathon mating sessions, the structural support becomes unnecessary.

Research published in 2016 found that the baculum likely disappeared from human anatomy around 1.9 million years ago, coinciding with the shift toward pair bonding and the nuclear family structure.

A Disappointing Sale

Despite the bone's uniqueness, the auction didn't quite meet expectations. The pre-sale estimate valued the baculum at $12,000 to $16,000, but only three bidders showed interest. The competition lasted just a couple of minutes before Ripley's secured their prize at the lower-than-expected price.

Still, $8,000 for a fossilized penis bone isn't exactly pocket change. The specimen now presumably resides in one of Ripley's museums, where it continues to amaze, confuse, and entertain visitors who stumble upon this extraordinary piece of natural history.

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