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Male splitfins wriggle about the yellow streak on their tail as part of their mating dance. Females are attracted to the wriggling tail because it looks like their typical prey. There's only one problem: the females then forget to eat. More »
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No, seriously. The next time you find yourself at an ostrich ranch (yes, they exist, and yes, they are everything you ever dreamed they could be and more), there's a pretty decent chance of you getting hit on by an ostrich. More »
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If you're walking in the woods, you're probably going to get more annoyed by a loud, screeching bird call than a soft, complex birdsong. But dark-eyed juncos are just the opposite. These birds will find and fight their soft-singing peers. More »
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Sociological research! Sometimes it involves staring at women's chests. Indeed, a recent study of 128 heterosexual Polish men has divined that fellows who are less interested in long-term relationships are more enthused by larger breasts. More »
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Rove beetles have come up with a truly novel way to ensure monogamy. After a male has mated with a female, he injects her with a chemical that makes her smell so bad that all other prospective suitors stay away. More »
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If koalas have any reputation at all, it's as quiet, cute marsupials that spend all their time eating eucalyptus. But male koalas unleash loud, deep yells that sound like the mating call of some massive beast. That's exactly the point. More »
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From a strictly evolutionary perspective, there's no reason why female beetles should be promiscuous. Unlike males, taking on multiple partners won't allow females to spread their genes more widely, and too much sex can actual shorten the female beetle lifespan. More »
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Dark-eyed junco birds are one of many species that practices monogamy...to a point. While a male and female are pair-bonded - the junco equivalent of marriage - both partners will take on additional partners in the name of better genetics. More »
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Females of certain fruit fly species mate with multiple males, which gives the males motivation to mate for as long as they possibly can. But in species where the female chooses only one mate for life, males are still jealously protective...but why? More »
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Moose are one of a number of species where males fight for the right to mate with their preferred female. As such, you might think female moose don't have much say in the matter. That's where you'd be wrong. More »
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Mayflies spend a year awaiting their birth, and then most die after living just one day. Their sole purpose is to pass on their genes, and most never even bother eating...and that's been the status quo for 100 million years. More »
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The haunting songs produced by whales are shockingly similar to human pop music: one single hit tune spreads across the ocean, and becomes the preferred whale mating tune. And, just like the modern music industry, it all runs on remixes. More »
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What if you could tell a potential partner's STD status just by looking at them? That's the evolutionary advantage that ducks appear to have. More »
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So this week's episode of V was so crazy and over-the-top that you need to contemplate it to make your afternoon complete. I'll give you a recap but honestly all you need to focus on right now is MATING. Because that's all V cares about too. That, and little teeny bottles of DNA that look like sperm. More »
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Deep sea fish assimilating males for extra sperm, flies frozen mid-coitus for 20 million years, and a walrus's penis bone... it's all part of "Sexual Nature", a new exhibition at London's Natural History Museum that spotlights the many awesomely strange forms that animal intercourse can take. Let's go on a Valentine's Day stroll through the animal kingdom, shall we? More »
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To compete for mates, male beetles often grow fierce mandibles that they use to fight other males. Unfortunately, there's a tradeoff. Researchers in Japan discovered that beetles with longer mandible weapons have smaller testicles and less ejaculate than their brethren. More »
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In this video of mosquitoes on the verge of mating, scientists reveal something that laypeople might already have known. Even in the act of love, mosquitoes are really annoying. More »
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