In some of the more simplistic cases of cryptic female choice, females prove unable to discern a good mate from a bad one during pre-coital
If the scene for heterospecific copulation was that of a horror film, the scene for hybridization is more like that of science fiction. In nature
Female house mice (Mus musculus) adjust the “fertilizability” of their ova depending on the social conditions in which they were reared. Females are thus able
Female birds can change egg contents based on social status, the qualities of dad, and in response to environmental factors. For example, when population density
We’ve discussed how environmental cues can be just as important as direct sexual signals. What happens when the environment is altered in such a way
As well as being required to make reliable assessments about sexual partners based on their physical and behavioural characteristics, animals (humans included) need to have
Animal personalities are not simply a matter of aggressive versus non-aggressive types. There is a substantial diversity in the kinds of behaviours that define a
As members of a species with separate sexes, humans tend to forget about the suite of organisms out there that are hermaphrodites, simultaneously carrying male
You may operate under the false impression that once a sperm has met with an egg and created an embryo, the process cannot be paused
