Advice for the love & struck: think dating and the flood of emotions that come with courtship are reserved for humans? Think again. Science World's advice column helps animals work out their dating dilemmas.You may think dating is all about dressing up, seeing the latest movie, and impressing that special someone. But for animals, "dating" is serious business. That's why they turn on the charm. And if their attempts at seduction fail to woo a suitable mate, the animal won't pass on its genes (segment of DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. that codes for specific traits) to offspring. Animals put a lot of energy into meeting Mr. (or Ms.) Right Mating with just anyone isn't good enough. Picking a strong, healthy partner ups their chances of having kids that are equally healthy. The hope? Their tykes will grow up to have kids of their own, passing their genes to another generation and ensuring the survival of the species. It's like an evolutionary lottery. "Each kid is a gamble. The payoff is successful kids and grandkids. If a kid dies without having grandkids, then it was an investment with no payoff," explains biologist Alex Ophir of McMaster University McMaster University, at Hamilton, Ont., Canada; nondenominational; founded 1887. It has faculties of humanities, science, social sciences, business, engineering, and health sciences, as well as a school of graduate studies and a divinity college. . Attempting to meet a mate--what scientists call courtship behavior--can make animals act pretty weird. Just look at the following letters from some love struck animals. POLAR BEAR polar bear, large white bear, Ursus maritimus, formerly Thalarctos maritimus, of the coasts of arctic North America. Polar bears usually live on drifting pack ice, but sometimes wander long distances inland. BLUES Dear Science World: A bully just beat me up. What's worse, I was still licking my wounds when my girlfriend left me--for him! Do tough guys always get the girl? --Bruised and Brokenhearted bro·ken·heart·ed adj. Grievously sad. brokenhearted Adjective overwhelmed by grief or disappointment Adj. 1. Dear Bruised and Brokenhearted, I wish I had better news for you, but polar bears are one of those species that lets a romantic duel decide who gets the girl. Not all species are that heartless, though. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Alex Ophir Of McMaster University, female Japanese quails aren't so impressed by the heavy hitters. In fact, quail "chicks" often choose the loser of the fight. Why? "Males that win fights against their rivals are very aggressive," Ophir says. "By Choosing the loser, a female reduces the likelihood that she'll get hurt." Since you aren't lucky enough to be a Japanese quail, my best advice is to chow down on some whale blubber and bulk up. That way, you'll have a better chance of winning the fight next time. The good news? Animals, including you polar bears, rarely fight to the death. ARCTIC LOVE: Once polar beard pick a mate, the couple spends about a week together. Then they break up. PROUD PARROT Dear Science World: Getting a date is never a problem for me. All I have to do is flash my colorful plumage plumage, of birds: see feathers. and the ladies come running, But I was wondering: How do less attractive guys find a mate? --Good Lookin' Dear Good Lookin', I'm guessing from your letter that you're not only handsome, but you also have high self-esteem! Anyway, to answer your question: Less attractive guys might not find a mate. The truth is, females choose good-looking guys because they're often the healthiest. Don't believe me? Jonathan Blount, a biologist at, the University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (Scottish Gaelic: Oilthigh Ghlaschu, Latin: Universitas Glasguensis) was founded in 1451, in Glasgow, Scotland. , discovered that female zebra finches prefer bright-beaked lads. Why? Blount's research shows that red-beaked finches have a stronger immune system immune system Cells, cell products, organs, and structures of the body involved in the detection and destruction of foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Immunity is based on the system's ability to launch a defense against such invaders. so they can better fight disease. By mating with healthy red-beaked guys, female finches have a "better chance of having a mate that will go the distance in rearing offspring," says Blount. Scientists aren't sure yet, but your pretty plumage may signal to females that you're healthy. So, consider yourself lucky for now. You sound like quite a charmer charm·er n. 1. One that charms, especially a disarmingly attractive person. 2. One who casts spells; an enchanter or magician. Noun 1. ! BRIGHT KIDS: Some parrots, like these red-and-green macaws, will mate and raise one chick to maturity. BAFFLED BEE Dear Science World: All day long I hang out with a few hundred guy friends just hoping a queen bee will fly by. What's up with this strange obsession? --Dazed and Confused Dear Dazed daze tr.v. dazed, daz·ing, daz·es 1. To stun, as with a heavy blow or shock; stupefy. 2. To dazzle, as with strong light. n. A stunned or bewildered condition. and Confused, Beware: The royal ladies you fancy use a secret weapon to keep you and the other bees under their spell. As you know, each hive is home to just one queen bee. These queens emit a natural chemical, or pheromone pheromone Any chemical compound secreted by an organism in minute amounts to elicit a particular reaction from other organisms of the same species. Pheromones are widespread among insects and vertebrates (except birds) and are present in some fungi, slime molds, and algae. , called Queen Mandibular Pheromone Queen Mandibular Protein, or QMP, is a honey bee pheromone thought to attract honeybees, which is even used in products designed for precisely that purpose in agriculture. (QMP QMP Quality Medical Publishing QMP Quality Management Plan (USACE) QMP Quality Management Program (Canada) QmP Qualitätswein Mit Prädikat (German wine certification) ). This chemical prevents the tens of thousands of worker-bee ladies in each hive from reproducing. That wipes out the royals' competition! Then, when a queen leaves her hive for a once-in-a-lifetime nuptial flight Nuptial flight is an important phase in the reproduction of most ant and some bee species [1]. During the flight, virgin queens mate with males and then land to start a new colony, or, in the case of honey bees, continue the planned succession of an existing hived colony. (during which she will mate in midair), QMP draws you and the other male bees, or drones, to her. All of you drones gather at "congregation sites" hoping a queen will fly by and mate with you. Sadly, your chances of success are small. Only three or four drones out of a thousand will pass on their genes. So get flying! Believe it or not, your species isn't the only one ruled by pheromones pheromones, any of a variety of substances, secreted by many animal species, that alter the behavior of individuals of the same species. Sex attractant pheromones, secreted by a male or female to attract the opposite sex, are widespread among insects. . Scientists suspect that pheromones play a role in courtship behavior in species ranging from ants to humans. Biologist Jelle Atema of Boston University studies pheromones and the dating practices of lobsters. "hi lobster land, the males fight and one is dominant," Atema explains. "The females can smell the difference between a dominant and subordinate male. She'll only mate with the dominant one." So, cheer up, Dazed. You're not the only animal who's crazy in love. CENTER OF ATTENTION: The queen bee emits a "love potion." STRANGE SEA HORSE? Dear Science World: I live in the ocean, and it seems as if most of my fish neighbors have a new date every night. I only have eyes for one mate. Am I weird? --Head Over Heels Dear Head Over Heels, Well, your loyalty is unusual in the animal kingdom. And in your case, remaining forever faithful to one mate--known as monogamy--may be hindering the survival of your species. If your "better half" were to die, you'd likely be slow in finding a new mate. Try to keep the apple of your eye away from fishermen. Why? Sadly, fishing nets widow many sea horses. Because the surviving mate refuses to date anyone else, fewer baby sea horses are born--resulting in a dwindling dwin·dle v. dwin·dled, dwin·dling, dwin·dles v.intr. To become gradually less until little remains. v.tr. To cause to dwindle. See Synonyms at decrease. population. Yours isn't the only species endangered by a monogamous lifestyle. Just ask Justin Brashares, a biologist at the University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley is a public research university located in Berkeley, California, United States. Commonly referred to as UC Berkeley, Berkeley and Cal . Brashares studied 41 species of mammals on six wildlife preserves in the African country of Ghana. His findings? There may be a link between monogamy monogamy: see marriage. and extinction. "Species that live in breeding pan's, like the tiny Royal Antelope, have disappeared from reserves," Brashares says. "Meanwhile, species that haven't formed the monogamy habit--like elephants, baboons, and warthogs--have done well." So, Head Over Heels, you're not alone in adoring only one gal. But hopefully you and your mate will steer clear of danger. You don't want to lose your sweetheart--or your chance of parenting future generations of sea horses. BABY BOOM: Male--not female--sea horses get pregnant and give birth. Once born, the babies are on their own. Did You Know? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Female coho salmon Coho salmon oncorhynchuskisutch. prefer timid males. Behavioral ecologist Jason Watters of the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). found that female salmon spawn longer with jacks--males that stop growing earlier in their lives and remain smaller--rather than the larger hooknoses. One possible reason: Hooknoses compete aggressively with each other to mate with females. The females prefer jacks to avoid physical abuse during mating. * Biologists at Tufts University found that female fireflies are more attracted to males that give lengthier light flashes. Fireflies devote most of their two-week-long adult life to courtship and mating. Males use light flashes to announce their availability to mate, and females flash back if they're interested. To beat out the competition, a male flashes in a pattern to boast what he has to offer. During mating, male fireflies provide females with sperm and spermatophore sper·mat·o·phore n. A capsule or compact mass of spermatozoa extruded by the males of certain invertebrates and primitive vertebrates and directly transferred to the reproductive parts of the female. , a high-protein nutritional package. The package is used to nourish her eggs. Tufts scientists measured the duration of a male's flashes and compared them to his spermatophore size. They found that the length of a male's flash is a good indicator of the quality of his spermatophore; the longer the flashes, the better he can "feed" his offspring. Cross-Curricular Connection: Social Studies: Research global human populations and name the five most populous countries. What factors contribute to the large numbers? Find out what experts believe may increase or decrease the populations of those nations in the future. Critical-thinking: What are some examples of human courtship behavior? For example: Some people wear perfume to attract a mate. Resources To learn more about biologist Alex Ophir's research on Japanese quails, visit www.science.mcmaster.ca/Psychology/ophir/ago_home.html You can read more about Justin Brashares's work on monogamous mammals and survival rate at these two Web sites: www.nature.com/nsu/030527/030527-13.html or abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/GoodMorningAmerica/ monogamy030618.html Read about biologist Jonathan Blount's study On Zebra finches at www.aaas.org/news/releases/2003/0408beaks.shtml |
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