Genital Complexities Give Mating Advantage, Research Suggests
Charles Darwin spent eight years studying barnacles and their genitalia. In much less time than that,
University of Cincinnati evolutionary biologist Michal Polak
(and co-author Arash Rashed, now at the University of California, Berkeley) have confirmed one of Darwins theories: that genitalia complexities in some species have developed because they assist the male in holding her securely.
As just published online in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Microscale Laser Surgery Reveals Adaptive Function of Male Intromittent Genitalia Polaks research showed that without a doubt among the fruit fly species Drosophila bipectinata Duda, the males penile peculiarities assisted them in copulation.
Polak, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in McMicken College of Arts and Sciences at UC, used a laser ablation technique to cut off tiny intromittent spines on the genitalia of virgin male D. bipectinata fruit flies.
We refer to these genital spines as intromittent because they insert [them] into female external genitalia during copulation, and not because they insert into the reproductive tract, Polak and Rashed explain in their paper.
Polaks study concluded that the male genital spines serve two functions. When the spines were removed, the males experienced drastic reductions in ability to copulate and ability to compete against rival males for mates. However, if the males were able to copulate, they found that insemination and fertilization rates were not significantly different.
Theyre not done yet, says Polak.
We are using the laser for a variety of projects, including to surgically excise other genital traits and the tiny but elaborate male sex combs used in courtship, and to study their adaptive function in sexual selection.
This research was partially supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) USA (grant DEB-0345990).
Music by Ivan Chew / CC BY-NC 3.0
Read more about it:
Microscale laser surgery reveals adaptive function of male intromittent genitalia, Proceedings of the Royal Society B
The Spiky Penis Gets the Girl by Emily Laut, ScienceNOW Daily News
Related Stories
From communication degree to corporate entrepreneur
May 8, 2024
Many communication and public relations majors have careers in mind before they graduate from college, but few may aspire to careers in logistics. But Nick Reasoner, who graduated from UC’s College of Arts and Sciences with degrees in both, forged his path there, and went on to found TransLoop, an award-winning third-party logistics firm. Headquartered in Chicago, TransLoop now has five additional locations, from Nashville to Ft. Lauderdale to Denver. Since its founding, the company has taken the number 12 spot on Inc. 5000’s list of Fastest Growing Private Companies in America, and Reasoner has been named to Business Elite’s 40 Under 40.
Cincinnati Enquirer: UC students win Flying Pig races
May 6, 2024
University of Cincinnati students won championships in the 2024 Flying Pig Marathon, including the women's marathon and men's and women's half marathons, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Information Security Roadshow spreads awareness
May 3, 2024
The University of Cincinnati's Office of Information Security launched a series of 18 in-person sessions from January to April 2024, drawing nearly 350 attendees from the staff of various UC colleges and units. The Information Security Roadshow series aimed to equip the audience with knowledge on prevailing cyber threats, prevention strategies, how to report incidents and resources to stay informed and secure.