Reproduction

Analysis and Comment (13)

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New research suggests that seeds could now be formed without the biological process of fertilisation. CIMMYT

Seeds without sex – some racy findings on the cloning of plants

By John Bowman, Monash University

Sex without seed. Seed without sex. It’s been said that the greatest gift of science to humankind would be achieving those two goals. Effective contraceptives such as the pill have pretty much nailed…
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Researchers applied sunblock to the plumage of female blue tits to see how males reacted. Marko_K

Blue beauty: why male tits work harder for attractive partners

By Kaspar Delhey, Monash University

Rearing young is a costly business that often affects an individual’s own future survival or reproduction prospects. And so it makes sense for individuals to find ways to ensure the energy they spend…
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Humans and spider monkeys are the only primate species without a penis bone. Chris Makarsky

The human penis is a puzzler, no bones about it

By Lauren Reid, Durham University

The penis. It comes in so many different shapes and sizes … and that’s just in humans. As you would imagine, different species have very different penises. The males in most mammal species, including…
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Researchers say women may be able to prolong their fertility in future by having an ovarian tissue transplant. bronx

Slowing the biological clock won’t solve family planning dilemmas

By Maggie Kirkman, Monash University and Jane Fisher, Monash University

In future, women could remain fertile for longer by undergoing an ovarian tissue transplant, according to paper published this week by American and Danish researchers. The Reproductive Biomedicine paper…
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Lilting voice? No need to look on the dark side. Bisgrafic

Did Darth Vader have a low sperm count?

By Jack da Silva

Few individuals in the Star Wars universe inspired more fear than the Sith Lord, Darth Vader. But beneath the dark exterior, the commander-formerly-known-as-Anakin-Skywalker might have been hiding a dark…
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Women will be the key to dealing with the growth in population. Flickr/PhotograTree

Seven billion reasons to be a feminist

By Rob Brooks

SEVEN BILLION PEOPLE: I had better write fast. Sometime between my deadline to submit this story and the time it goes live, the estimated world population will exceed 7 billion for the first time ever…
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Rejoice, men: you may not need to hold your clock in dismay. purplemattfish

Time trial: is premature ejaculation really a medical condition?

By Patrick Jern, Åbo Akademi University

If you’re in a room with 20 random blokes, it’s likely six or seven of them are worried about and unsatisfied with their ability to control their ejaculation during partnered sex. In other words, these…
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Men’s testosterone decline isn’t quite the same as menopause. Andres Thor

Monday’s medical myth: men also go through menopause

By Carolyn Allan, Prince Henry's Institute

Feeling tired and grumpy? Maybe a litte emotional? If you’re a middle-aged male, these symptoms might be hormone-related, but no, you’re not going through man opause. It’s true that signs of men’s low…
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A guy walks into a cafe … but what happens next depends on strategy. nathancolquhoun/Flickr

All about the girl: the mating game and how (not) to win it

By Alex Jordan, Osaka City University and Carla Avolio

Long before men asked themselves “What’s the meaning of life?”, they were scratching their heads and wondering “How do I get the girl?” And it’s not just humans who have been consumed with this question…
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The hairy-nosed wombat is just one of the species at Australia’s “frozen zoo”. Fleshpiston/Flickr

Australia’s “frozen zoo” and the risk of extinction

By Ian Gunn, Monash University

Let’s be clear: the world’s animal resources are rapidly declining. Globally, more than 5,000 wildlife species are threatened with extinction. Some 25% are mammals, and 11% birds. Of the reptile, amphibian…
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kissing. Fernando Meyer/Flickr

Sex: why do we bother?

By Mark Elgar, University of Melbourne

As a society, we seem to be obsessed by sex. So wondering out loud why we have it is likely to invite a highly bemused response. And yet sex remains one of the great, enduring mysteries of evolutionary…

Research and News (1)

Research Briefs (14)

The speedy bird catches the girl

University of Manchester

While the early bird might catch the worm, it’s the quick bird that gets the ladies. That’s the case for rock ptarmigans…

Sparrows spar by sharing songs

Queens University Biological Station

Far from being a harmonious sing-a-long, song-sharing among sparrow populations is actually an aggressive behaviour, akin…

Males die early for female attention

University of Burgundy

Male houbura bustards that are particularly exuberant in their attempts to attract female attention have been found to die…

How to clone a clam

Wired Science

Individuals from a group of freshwater clam species are believed to produce genetic clones of themselves during reproduction…

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