Pronghorns vs Humans: In mate selection who is smarter?
source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080806210529.htm
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- MeganMcKenzie
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Over the past two decades, John Byers has proven that female pronghorns are smarter than many humans when it comes to mate selection. Rather than going for the male with the biggest body or most impressive horns, female pronghorns expend a ton of energy searching for the most vigor and best stamina; traits that will give their offspring the greatest chance of success.
But are they smarter than classical European royalty? When pronghorns select a mate, can they factor in what many historians believe doomed the famous Hapsburg dynasty – inbreeding?
Thanks in part to a four-year, $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Byers will be able to answer that exact question.
“We’ve shown the pronghorns know the benefit of selecting the best males,” said Byers, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Idaho. “Now we’re trying to show whether females can balance the cost benefits of selecting a strong male versus a closely related one. Will they accept mating with a relative if the projected cost of inbreeding is not too high? Or reject the male because the cost is way off the chart? Or will they breed without any regard to genealogy?”
Because Byers has worked with the same pronghorn herds in eastern Montana since the early 1990s, and can identify each pronghorn by sight, he is in a unique position to carry out this study. During that time, he has proven female pronghorns expend 50 percent more energy while searching for the strongest males, and that offspring sired by the chosen few are stronger, have a much higher chance of survival and strike out from their mothers much sooner. Because of this mate testing, nearly all offspring are sired by a small subset of males.
But are they smarter than classical European royalty? When pronghorns select a mate, can they factor in what many historians believe doomed the famous Hapsburg dynasty – inbreeding?
Thanks in part to a four-year, $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Byers will be able to answer that exact question.
“We’ve shown the pronghorns know the benefit of selecting the best males,” said Byers, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Idaho. “Now we’re trying to show whether females can balance the cost benefits of selecting a strong male versus a closely related one. Will they accept mating with a relative if the projected cost of inbreeding is not too high? Or reject the male because the cost is way off the chart? Or will they breed without any regard to genealogy?”
Because Byers has worked with the same pronghorn herds in eastern Montana since the early 1990s, and can identify each pronghorn by sight, he is in a unique position to carry out this study. During that time, he has proven female pronghorns expend 50 percent more energy while searching for the strongest males, and that offspring sired by the chosen few are stronger, have a much higher chance of survival and strike out from their mothers much sooner. Because of this mate testing, nearly all offspring are sired by a small subset of males.
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good_stuff
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Cheating is only natural. It is too bad that this girl didn't end up with the strong genes for her baby. Damn that crime against nature that is monogomy.
- 3 years ago
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good_stuff
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angie1234p
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I personally find them to be some of the dumbest animals on the planet. They simply don't seem to exhibit a lot of thought when it comes to survival. I may have to rethink that now.
As humans, I think we select purely through trial and error lol
- 3 years ago
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angie1234p
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allIknowis
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Yeah, but can they balance a job and family?
- 3 years ago
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allIknowis
