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San Francisco, 11:34 AM
Sun Nov 8
10 posts in the last 24 hours
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11/07/09
Female preference and how it steers the course of evolution is an area of study that hasn't gotten a lot of attention, but it isn't unknown.
The water strider study parallel's a study done in mallard ducks. Over 70% of copulation is forced copulation by one or more males (rape/gang rape) . However, very few offspring result from forced copulation. Only about 3%. Female ducks have evolved highly elaborate reproductive organs to keep the undesirable males from impregnating them. Plus, they have the ability to store sperm from their chosen mates in their bodies for up to 10 days. #science
11/06/09
(Peels of loud sardonic and slightly unbalanced laughter!) #science
11/06/09
Compare this to the situation in more and more institutions of higher education, where the sex ratio is approaching (or even blowing straight through) 60% female.
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11/06/09
Water Striders don't consume alcohol. #science
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11/06/09
Just sayin'..there's no need to use the whole entire bottle, guys. Unless you're stranded in the middle of the Arctic and the only way to find you is to sniff you out, just a dab will do ya. #science
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11/07/09
[jezebel.com]
Hence the preference for "Bad Boys". Those guys are honest with you. They'll tell you right up front they don't give a flying f--k about a relationship. They tell you straight up they're horny and want to get laid....and honesty really can be the best policy sometimes.
[jezebel.com]
11/06/09
As for isolated populations theory, this is familiar to anyone who has lived in a small town and seen the local assholes/louts have their way with the local ladies.
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07/19/09
It is possible that other animals have a similar thing happen. Perhaps some animals are attracted to different traits despite being of the same species. As an example, perhaps with the bird of paradise, some females focus more on the dance while others focus more on the color of the male. This preference to focus on the dance or the color could be a matter of nurture, not nature. Therefore, the focus on either the dance or the color becomes passed down and speciation can occur between the good dancers and the birds with good colors.
07/17/09
The first is, as you mentioned, the new hardships or abundances. But the second is the lack of gene flow between the two groups. Sufficient genetic exchange between two groups prevents speciation, even in wildly different environments. Insufficient genetic exchange between neighboring groups causes speciation even without differing hardships and abundances (as founder's effect becomes amplified over time).
07/17/09
This study is staying that in thousands of generations, you have blues and reds and they cant breed with each other and produce offspring (or maybe the offspring is sterile).
07/17/09
07/18/09
Whaaaaaaat? Did you read the post or are you just having trouble understanding it?
This is not about disproving evolution
07/17/09
Geographic isolation just gives a population the opportunity to experience hardships or abundance distinct from their brothers and sisters.
07/18/09
This difference is partially due to the fact that over 2000 generations both groups are very unlikely to make the same choices when it comes to mating.
07/18/09