Mating

It's mating season for coyotes, which means they're more likely to be out and about during the day.With that in mind, the City of Burlington, Ont., is reminding residents what to do if they encounter one, and how to coyote-proof their properties. Last week, the city also updated its bylaws to let wildlife management professionals use firearms but the city's head of bylaw says that's not to make it easier to kill coyotes but makes the response require less staffing."Coyotes have always been here. People just didn't notice…

Researchers have uncovered the specific pheromone blend used by male moths in courtship, highlighting the importance of methyl salicylate, a plant-derived substance, in attracting females. This discovery marks a significant advancement in understanding the chemical communication essential for moth mating rituals, revealing evolutionary adaptations and the role of diet in pheromone composition. Credit: SciTechDaily.comResearch identifies methyl salicylate as a key component in male moth pheromones, sourced from plants and…

New research suggests interspecies hanky panky between blue and fin whales is more common than we thought, at least in certain parts of the world.Genome sequencing of North Atlantic blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus musculus) revealed around 3.5 percent of the group's DNA came from a neighboring species, fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus).The scientists from Canada and Norway didn't expect this percentage to be so high. What's more, all the present-day blue whale samples in their study had at least some fin whale DNA in…

Researchers have unveiled a complex blend of pheromone chemicals used by male moths in courtship, including an aphrodisiac known as methyl salicylate. This discovery enriches our understanding of moth communication and mate selection, demonstrating how male moths signal their prowess by overcoming plant defenses, thereby attracting females. Credit: SciTechDaily.comMale moths use a blend of pheromones, including the newly discovered aphrodisiac methyl salicylate, to attract mates, a strategy that underscores the complexity…

Male phenotypes in the ruff. (Left) Independent ruff males interacting at a lek. (Right) A Satellite ruff male with pale ornamental feathers at a lek. Credit: Photos courtesy of Tom Schandy.In the colorful world of avian courtship, the ruff (Calidris pugnax) is in a league of its own. These medium-sized sandpipers breed in the marshes and wet meadows throughout Eurasia. The males are particularly noted for their unique approaches to courtship, which range from flamboyant territorial displays to cunning mimicry.These…

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A team of behavioral scientists at Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, in Brazil, has found via survey results that people view men who drive luxurious cars as having a higher mating value and other positive attributes. In their study, reported in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, the group conducted two surveys involving people driving expensive cars.…

As It Happens6:32The mating dance of sea fireflies is ‘the coolest fireworks show that you've ever seen’: scientistNicholai Hensley has spent countless hours standing waist-deep in pitch-black waters off the coast of Panama, watching thousands of tiny sea creatures perform dazzling displays of bright blue light.The creatures — each the size of a sesame seed — belong to a recently discovered species of ostracod, also known as sea fireflies, whose males lure potential mates with a synchronized dance powered by iridescent…

In one of the strangest animal behavior discoveries this year, male serotine bats living in a church attic in the Netherlands have been captured on camera engaging in marathon sessions of non-penetrative sex – the first-ever instance of superficial-contact mating among mammals.However, the devil is in the details. Researchers from the University of Lausanne soon discovered that this very unusual mammalian behavior was a far more complex strategy, because the male serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus) also happens to sport a…

Copulation attempt of two Drosophila males in ozone-enriched air. Credit: Benjamin Fabian, Max Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyHigh levels of ozone destroy the chemical mating signal of the insects and may thus contribute to global insect decline.Insect sexual communication relies to a significant extent on pheromones, chemical attractants that specifically allow males and females of a <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div…

Karen Hopkin: This is Scientific American’s 60-Second Science. I’m Karen Hopkin. It’s great to have friends. Especially if you’re an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin. Because new research shows that the males who are the most popular with the lads are also the most successful with the ladies. Researchers describe how these affable marine mammals maintain and leverage their complex social connections in a pair of papers in the journal Current Biology. Stephanie King: Male dolphins form lifelong cooperative relationships.…