We’ve noticed a clear trend away from singing as a mating tactic among male humpbacks. But it’s probably a pretty good strategy.
Statistical pitfalls in GWAS can result in misleading conclusions about whether some traits (like long horns or spotted skin, in the case of dinosaurs) are genetically linked.
@meanymoo
Richard Border, University of California, Los Angeles and Noah Zaitlen, University of California, Los Angeles
People don’t randomly select who they have children with. And that means an underlying assumption in research that tries to link particular genes to certain diseases or traits is wrong.
During mating season, a male turtle-headed sea snake will often lose sight of the female before mating can happen. The female may be metres away, but the male won’t ever find her again.
Each year, more and more people are looking to dating apps to find a partner. And a trove of data from these users is finally revealing what men and women really want.
Scent plays an important role in how birds choose their mates.
(Shutterstock)
Bonobos may be the most promiscuous species on the planet. From meddling mothers to feeding ground excitement, their sex lives are unique in the animal world.
A male guppy looks good when he looks different.
Mitchel Daniel
Biologists, along with most of the internet, have been puzzled as to why peacock spiders have such flamboyant courtship displays. So we decided to find out.
Relationships are often interpreted as the outcome of an exchange of goods and services. Common knowledge says that the sexes want different things from a partner. These preferences are often reduced to…
Guys, I’m just trying to hibernate over here.
Jason Cohn / Reuters
Research among the Makushi of southwestern Guyana shatters stereotypes about men wanting casual sex and women wanting relationships.
Male orb-web spiders are dwarfed by their female counterparts, but they can maximise success if they don’t mate indiscriminately.
Brian Gratwicke/Flickr
Males will mate with anything. Well, that is the general view, one that exists because of a simple biological underpinning: females are reproductively limited by costly gestation, while males are only…
Father’s involvement in raising a child, on average, brings good news. It leads to lower child mortality and better social, psychological and educational outcomes. So why do some men choose not to invest…
Bigger male purple-crowned fairy-wrens can sing their ‘trill song’ at a lower pitch than smaller males.
Michelle Hall
The melodious beauty and elaborate complexity of birdsong has long inspired poets, writers, and musicians – as well as behavioural ecologists! But besides appreciating the aesthetics of birdsong, we are…
For golden orb spiders, it seems size doesn’t matter when it comes to finding a mate.
Michael Kasumovic
Whether it’s two lions fighting over a pride or two butterflies fighting over a sunny spot, decades of nature shows have led the average watcher to conclude that bigger, stronger males win competitions…