Posted on 04/02/2011 3:20:09 PM PDT by Cardhu
Although emasculated spiders can no longer be lovers, they are better fighters, a new study says.
In many spider species, males have sex using two appendages known as pedipalps. But males will often lose one or both pedipalps during the act—behavior that might seem like a bad idea evolutionarily, since it renders the male sterile.
(Related pictures: "'Torture' Phalluses Give Beetles Breeding Boost.")
Scientists have proposed that such genital amputation plugs up a female to help ensure that other males don't successfully impregnate her.
To learn more about why male spiders become eunuchs, scientists examined the mating behaviors of the Southeast Asian orb web spider, Nephilengys malabarensis. (Related: "Largest Web-Spinning Spider Found.")
The scientists found that amputated genitals effectively plugged up a female spider 75 percent of the time. In addition, the team saw that males with missing genitals were far more aggressive and active in guarding females.
During contests between males, full eunuchs that had lost both pedipalps were better fighters than half eunuchs and intact males, the study showed. Overall, the eunuchs were more than three times more likely to attack, chase, and defeat any rivals.
The scientists think that, once a male has lost his means of procreating, he protects his investment further by becoming a superwarrior.
"We think, but are not sure, that the changes in behavior may be due to changing hormone levels" triggered by losing the pedipalps, said study co-author Matjaž Kuntner, a spider expert at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Ljubljana.
"But the ultimate reason for this behavior is that eunuchs, with no reproductive future, have nothing to lose and risk more in contests."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalgeographic.com ...
Well, and what else do they have to do?
Does that mean that a “test” should be made castrating our military to see if the get even more “aggressive”?
“In many spider species, males have sex using two appendages known as pedipalps. But males will often lose one or both pedipalps during the act—behavior that might seem like a bad idea evolutionarily, since it renders the male sterile.”
Sucks to be a spider.
IIRC, fighters have to stay away from their "partners" before a fight....so I'd say the "energy" level is changed.
Jannisaries (sp)? Weren’t they eunuchs?
Sounds like something from a hag feminist.
LOL.
By this way of thinking, Congressional Republicans ought to be kicking major DemocraP butt. (sigh)
“Does that mean that a “test” should be made castrating our military to see if the get even more “aggressive”? “
If you tried to castrate me I would certainly get more aggressive.
Of course, it’s tricky finding spider junk, so probably the researchers wound up with a bunch of three-legged castrated spiders.
I wonder if National Geographic is published in Arabic.
This is knowledge that jihadis everywhere must have.
Now that is a good idea.
Well, now I know why moths are so aggressive. With sll those moth balls on the market, they’ve got nothing else to lose...
Well, if you kick like a girl and you have eight legs..
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