Articles tagged with Sex Ratios
A new study found that many fig wasp species are cryptic, meaning they are genetically identical but belong to different host fig species. This challenges current ideas about the stability and evolution of mutualisms, strengthening other critical parts of modern evolutionary theory.
Researchers from Italy studied over 14,000 births and found a significant disparity in sex ratios between optimal and sub-optimal reproductive conditions. The study suggests that nature tries to compensate for the vulnerability of male babies by favoring them in favorable months.
A recent study has found that parental smoking around the time of conception is associated with a reduction in male births. The research suggests that exposure to cigarette smoke may affect sperm cells carrying the Y-chromosome, leading to lower male to female sex ratios. Smoking was found to impact sex ratios even when only the mother...
Researchers at North Carolina State University discovered that fire ant queens can alter the sex ratio of their colonies by limiting female eggs laid. This finding suggests a negotiated middle ground between queens and workers, who have competing interests in raising new colony members.