This, the scientists said, means that tadpoles living in the larger, more nutrient-rich pools don't need the work of two parents as much as their smaller-pond counterparts. Species that raised tadpoles in smaller ponds were more likely to require the skills of both parents. In turn, this likely favored parents who remained devoted only to the offspring that they had produced together.
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Friday, March 12, 2010
Biologists Find Proof of First Confirmed Species of Monogamous Frog
Oh no, it is even more interesting than that. The discovery points to the need for raising children once again as the point of monogamy of committed reproductive partners. And I think the discovery that the link between resources and the need for parental care was ripe for a metaphor.
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PBS's nature is having a program called "What females want..."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/what-females-want/introduction/828/
"Female jumping spiders will attack and eat anything that moves. This often includes males who may be courting them. So, if a male falls short in convincing a female that he will be a good mate, he may become lunch. This is a compelling reason for males to work hard in perfecting their courtship dances.
In the mating game, it is not always “do or die,” but the penalties can be severe, and there is no single tried and true approach when it comes to the fascinating strategy of attracting a mate. Charles Darwin called it “sexual selection.” NATURE is calling it What Females Want and Males Will Do for love — a two-part miniseries about sexual selection.
What Females Want and Males Will Do explores the evolution of sexual strategies and what makes certain species winners and losers in the mating game. Courtship drives evolution by controlling whose genes are passed on to the next generation, and intense competition gives rise to a wide array of dazzling displays and impressive ornamentation....."