science top stories popular news  

Daily non-political popular news in brief.

Horns vs. Sperm: Male beetles on tight equipment budget

10-21-2006 · Science News Online

A group of dung beetle species that sprout elaborate horns often face trade-offs between horn and testes sizes.

Read more »

Keywords: horns, sperm, male, beetles, tight, equipment, budget, horn, beetle

« Previous | Next »

Similar news on "Horns vs. Sperm: Male beetles on tight equipment budget":

  1. Vanishing beetle horns have surprise function
    12-04-2006 · EurekAlert!
    In this month's American Naturalist (December 2006) and the November 2006 issue of Evolution, Indiana University Bloomington scientists present an entirely new function for the horns: during their development, Onthophagus horned beetles use their young horns as a sort of can opener, helping them bust out of thick larval shells.
    Similar news · Read more »
  2. Bigger horns equal better genes
    06-05-2007 · EurekAlert!
    According to a team of international researchers, mature, male alpine ibex demonstrate a correlation between horn growth and genetic diversity. The researchers believe their study offers evidence to support the mutation accumulation theory of ageing, which is the idea that, because natural selection weakens with age, genetic mutations have effects that accumulate over time.
    Similar news · Read more »
  3. Rodent sperm work together for better results
    01-23-2007 · EurekAlert!
    Although, sperm are inseminated in millions each sperm goes it alone. However, under some circumstances it might be advantageous for sperm to cooperate with one another. This is especially likely to be the case when females are promiscuous and sperm of one male have to compete against those of rival males.
    Similar news · Read more »
  4. Cloning the male genome may help infertile men
    07-03-2007 · EurekAlert!
    Artificially replicating the male genome could help men with very low sperm counts become fathers, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology was told (Tuesday 3 July). Professor Takumi Takeuchi, of Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, USA, said mouse experiments by his team, led by Professor Gianpiero D. Palermo, had shown that offspring born as a result of such replication had shown a level of abnormalities consistent with that shown in cloned animals.
    Similar news · Read more »
  5. How does one sex grow larger than the other?
    01-29-2007 · EurekAlert!
    In most arthropod groups females are larger and therefore grow faster, a pattern markedly different from primates and birds, which showed differences in growth period. One explanation of why females can grow faster is that, although it is generally cheaper to produce (small) sperm than (large) eggs, it may be costlier to produce male gonads and genitalia.
    Similar news · Read more »
  6. Hives ferment a yeasty brew, attract beetle pest
    05-16-2007 · EurekAlert!
    The honeybee's alarm signal may not only bring help, but also attract the small hive beetle. Now, an international team of researchers has found that small hive beetles can detect some alarm pheromones at levels below that detected by honeybees.
    Similar news · Read more »
  7. Stimulating the appetite can lead to unrelated impulse purchases
    01-08-2008 · EurekAlert!
    Exposure to something that whets the appetite, such as a picture of a mouthwatering dessert, can make a person more impulsive with unrelated purchases, finds a study from the February 2008 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research. For example, in one experiment the researchers reveal that the aroma of chocolate chip cookies can prompt women on a tight budget to splurge on a new item of clothing.
    Similar news · Read more »
  8. Scientists crack rhino horn riddle
    11-06-2006 · EurekAlert!
    Rhinoceros horns have long been objects of mythological beliefs. Some cultures prize them for their supposed magical or medicinal qualities. Others have used them as dagger handles or good luck charms. But new research at Ohio University removes some of the mystique by explaining how the horn gets its distinctive curve and sharply pointed tip.
    Similar news · Read more »
  9. A new male-specific gene in algae unveils an origin of male and female
    12-18-2006 · EurekAlert!
    By studying the genetics of two closely related species of green algae that practice different forms of sexual reproduction, researchers have shed light on one route by which evolution gave rise to reproduction though the joining of distinct sperm and egg cells.
    Similar news · Read more »
  10. Gene defects could be new cause of male infertility
    10-17-2007 · EurekAlert!
    Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have identified a gene crucial to the final step of the formation of a functional sperm cell.
    Similar news · Read more »