males can conceive even into their dotage, but oxidative damage to the sperm of men above 50 can make their offspring more prone to genetic diseases. Now, a new paper published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology shows that the same can be true of male boobies.
The research, conducted by a joint Spanish-Mexican research team, focused on boobies because the still relatively isolated nature of their populations keeps them safe from at least some of the dangers that claim other animals in their prime. As male boobies age, the researchers found, their sperm suffers the same kinds of degeneration that human sperm does. At the same time, they change in more visible ways - including a fading of the distinctive blueness of their feet. Female boobies - no fools - generally give these seniors a pass, opting instead to mate with the boys who retain their blue hue.
It's not news that color, plumage and a thousand other visual cues serve as mating attractants among animals. But it is a surprise that the decline of reproductive signaling so closely mirrors a humanlike decline in sperm quality.
"The study provides us with a new way of looking at what lies behind sexual signals," says lead author Alberto Velando of the University of Vigo in Spain, "pointing to the importa
留言列表
