Posted on 05/26/2005 5:47:35 PM PDT by missyme
HORNY male trilobites may have been fighting it out over the females hundreds of millions of years ago, making them the earliest combatants known to take part in such sexual contests.
Rob Knell, a biologist at Queen Mary University of London and Richard Fortey of London's Natural History Museum noticed that some of the trilobites in the museum's collection had horns on their heads similar to those of modern beetles. Male beetles use their horns to battle each other for supremacy, with the winner getting the opportunity to mate. Knell and Fortey wondered if the trilobites used their horns for the same purpose.
There were other possible explanations: that the horns had a protective function; that they helped reduce turbulence while swimming; that they were sensory feelers; or that they helped camouflage the animal. But none fitted with the shape and position of the horns (Biology Letters, DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2005.0304). "The most likely function was in combat between male beetles over access to females," Knell concludes.
The study centred on a trilobite family called the raphiophorids, which lived in the Ordovician, 488 to 444 million years ago. But the researchers say their conclusions also apply to the headgear of other trilobites, such as the magnificent trident borne by Walliserops trifurcates (above) from the Devonian, 417 to 354 million years ago
"Male beetles use their horns to battle each other for supremacy, with the winner getting the opportunity to mate. "
And how do they know that?
The truth is that they have no clue why the beetles had horns, it's the researchers who have sex on the brain and everything has to have a sexual explanation. And this is reasearch?!
It is baffling to see why Bug Sex is so important to these Scientists...
There's a Viagra joke in there somewhere.Oldest Known Penis Is...Sex was first recognized in the fossil records more than 500 million years ago and the oldest known penis... belongs to an ostracod, an early crustacean related to crabs, shrimps and water fleas, and was found in a fossil sample unearthed in Brazil. "To my knowledge it is the oldest penis. I don't know of any older," Professor David Siveter, of the University of Leicester, told the British Association science conference.
Beetles are modern - their mating behavior has been observed.
ostracod ... codpiece ... there may be a connection.
"The most likely function was in combat between male beetles over access to females," Knell concludes. "
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Sure, all species fight over the females, but the scientist claim that the MAIN purpose they have horns is for that, which is ridiculous. The main function of horn is self defense of defense of others. Do you think God put horns on the heads of beetles, so they can better fight over the females? This is what the "scientists" are saying. They are talking about the ancient beetles.
Rob Knell, a biologist at Queen Mary University of London and Richard Fortey of London's Natural History Museum noticed that some of the trilobites in the museum's collection had horns on their heads similar to those of modern beetles. Male beetles use their horns to battle each other for supremacy, with the winner getting the opportunity to mate. Knell and Fortey wondered if the trilobites used their horns for the same purpose.
I can't believe the way I mangled the English language -- Obviously I wasn't paying attention.
These trilobites also aren't on the top of my list of priorities. LOL
Ostracod... ostra-size... another connection? ;')
This topic was posted , thanks missyme.
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