Category Archives: Evolution of sex

Absence makes the genitalia grow weirder

Posted on April 4, 2013 by

Evolution loves penises. How else do you explain all the crazy penis shapes out there? Por ejemplo (slightly nsfw): the corkscrew duck penis, the spiny cat and chimp members, the sci-fi-esque spiked penis of a seed beetle, the 4-headed penis of … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution of sex, Sexual selection | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The secret sex of cheese

Posted on December 4, 2012 by

Are you grossed out by blue cheese? (I’m not, but I know many who are). Does that blue-green marbling of delicious fungus kind of make you gag? Well, this little factoid probably won’t help: there may be sex going on … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution of sex, Sexual behavior | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

To get sperm, female mosses attract microarthropods with sexy smells

Posted on July 29, 2012 by

Way back, before mosses and their brethren evolved, all sex happened in the water. This made things pretty easy for plants and other species that don’t have fancy internal fertilization like us. All they had to do was let their … Continue reading →

Posted in Eggs and sperm, Evolution of sex, Plant sex! | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sex or no sex, that is the question

Posted on April 21, 2012 by

There are pros and cons to everything in life, and sex is no exception. From an evolutionary biology standpoint, sex is a compromise (which may explain why so many of our lawmakers seem to be against it). Reproducing asexually means … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution of sex | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The making of a toad, through sex and cloning

Posted on October 23, 2011 by

At a certain age, children want to know the answer to one simple question: how are babies made? And the answer seems simple enough, too (if sometimes a bit awkward): one sperm plus one egg equals a baby. But this … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution of sex | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment