Bats, Brains & Balls
from an article in the
USA Today paper, Jan 26, 2006
Trade-off
for bats: Breeding vs. Brains
For some male bats, sexual prowess comes with a small price: smaller
brains. Researchers, led by Syracuse University biologist Scott Pitnick
found that in bat species in which females have a large number of mates,
males with the largest testicles have the smallest brains. In bat species
where females are more monogamous, males with smaller testes have larger
brains. The study in the online journal
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Biological Science offers
evidence that males in some species make an evolutionary trade-off between
intelligence and sexual ability, says David Hoskens of the University of
Exeter, England. "There are no free lunches," he says.
Above excerpt
@Copyright 2006
USA Today
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