Female gorillas use sex as a tactic to thwart their rivalsSeptember 2nd, 2009 LONDON - A new study has shown that female gorillas use sex as a tactic to thwart their rivals. Diane Doran-Sheehy, a primatologist at Stony Brook University in New York, has found that pregnant apes court their silverback male to stop other females conceiving.
Females 'don't fall for flashy males with strong sexual display'August 22nd, 2009 LONDON - In the marine world, attracting a mate can be really tricky. A new study on three-spined stickleback fish has found that females do not always trust males who emit strong sexual signals.
'Jealous' female birds change singing pattern to prevent males from flirtingJuly 19th, 2009 LONDON - Researchers from Oxford University have found that female birds change the way they sing to prevent males from flirting with other females. They found that warbling antbirds, which form lifelong partnerships in the tropical forests of South America where they are found, normally sing duets to mark their territory.
Smart males ration sperm to maximise offspringJuly 10th, 2009 LONDON - Attractive males release fewer sperm per mating to maximise their chances of producing offspring across a range of females, according to a new study. The findings by researchers at UCL (University College London) and the University of Oxford suggest that, paradoxically, mating with attractive males may be less fertile than those with unattractive ones.
Male sea-horses prefer bigger femalesJuly 8th, 2009 LONDON - Male sea-horses prefer bigger females for sex and for bigger offspring, a recent study has revealed. This finding is consistent with predictions on the importance of female body size for reproduction in this species.
Baboon mums 'exploit' chaperonesJune 17th, 2009 LONDON - A new study has shown that male and female baboons form platonic friendships. But while the females clearly benefit, it is a mystery what males get from such relationships.
Female pandas can discern the love calls of different suitorsJune 17th, 2009 LONDON - An American researcher has shown that female giant pandas can tell one male's love calls from those of others, taking the first step towards proving that females among the animals use these bleats to choose their mates. Ben Charlton, a biologist at Zoo Atlanta, says that this finding attains significance as a gaining a better understanding of how females pick their mates might help zoos breed the notoriously picky and endangered animals.
Gorilla mums clap hands to keep their families togetherMay 9th, 2009 LONDON - Female gorillas deliberately clap their hands to attract the attention of male silverbacks and infants over long distances, which helps them keep their family together, according to a study. This is the second time that such behaviour has been recorded in wild western lowland gorillas in the forests of central Africa.
Spiders go for violent, but effective sexMay 1st, 2009 LONDON - Spiders in Israel have been seen indulging in a violent but evolutionarily effective mating strategy, which guarantees direct fertilisation of eggs in the ovaries. In the so-called traumatic insemination, males of the Harpactea sadistica species pierce the abdomen of females, and thus fertilise their eggs directly in the ovaries.
What prompts female birds' promiscuous behaviour?May 1st, 2009 LONDON - Female birds' promiscuous behaviour breeds genetically better offspring that are also likely to do better in life, according to a new report. The discovery adds fuel to the debate about why some female birds seek those extra mates in the first place.
Sexual harassment from males 'damages relationships between females'April 22nd, 2009 LONDON - Sexual harassment from males can damage relationships between females, says a new study. Led by the Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour at the University of Exeter, the study focused on guppies, a popular aquarium fish, in which scientists have previously observed a very high level of sexual harassment from males towards females.
Sexual harassment prevents female bonding, says studyApril 22nd, 2009 LONDON - Sexual harassment prevents female bonding among fish, says a study. The findings are important as they could be relevant to other species as well.
Wild female chimps trade sex for meatApril 8th, 2009 LONDON - Wild female chimps have sex more frequently with males who share meat with them over long periods of time, according to a German study. How females choose their mating partners and why males hunt and share meat with them are questions that have long puzzled scientists.
Scientists explain why love game is fraught with perilsJanuary 17th, 2009 LONDON - A model developed by scientists delves into why courtship or the mating game is often protracted and fraught with perils. The study, by researchers by University College London (UCL), University of Warwick (UW) and LSE (London School of Economics and Political Science), shows that extended courtship enables a male to signal his suitability to a female and enables the female to reject him if unsuitable.
Kate Moss jealous of other womenJanuary 11th, 2009 LONDON - British supermodel Kate Moss showed her jealous side while on holiday in Thailand with boyfriend Jamie Hince when she scolded him for talking to an attractive tourist. Contactmusic.com reports that Moss and Hince have been together for almost 18 months now.
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