Female Dung Beetles Evolved Elaborate Horns to Fight for the Choicest Poop

Discover Magazine ^

[cajuncow]

Male animals often use their horns to fight over females, but at least one species’ females use their horns to fight over excrement.

The species, no surprise, is the dung beetle. Unlike many of the animals we usually associate with elaborate horns, antlers, or other head weaponry—in which the male has the most impressive set—dung beetle females have horns that put the male version to shame.

[cajuncow]

With all the excrement in Washington, the horns of the female beetles must be of epic proportions.

[Albion Wilde]

NOW we know how Democrats evolved!

[KoRn]

I can relate to this article, and I’m not even a female.

[cthemfly25]

In keeping with the theory of evolution popular among the secularist, we should chrisen the but “Pelosi Beetle”.

[JoeProBono]

[digger48]

Why did I immediately think of Nancy Pelosi?

[Free Vulcan]

I call BS!

[rfp1234]

Their slogan was inspired by the Raiders:

“Commitment to Excrements”.

[Viking2002]

'With all the excrement in Washington, the horns of the female beetles must be of epic proportions.'

Hell, if that were the case, Nazi Pelosi wouldn't even be able to lift her head. LOL

[cripplecreek]

Female Dung Beetles Evolved Elaborate Horns to Fight for the Choicest Poop

Thank God for fingers and opposable thumbs!!!

[Hegemony Cricket]

Actually, the male beetles were just smart enough to realize, “Hey - it’s only poop! Let the gals have it if they want it so bad...”

[Quickgun]

fudge fighters?.....

[donhunt]

I’m glad that I now know this. Well....sort of.

[WorkingClassFilth]

‘splains alot about Hillary.

[samtheman]

My first thought was to Ta-Ray-Zah. After all, she did end up with the biggest piece of poop in Washington.

[Major Matt Mason]

I never thought I'd see the words "choicest" and "poop" side-by-side in the same sentence.

[TribalPrincess2U]

I half expected to see a picture.... speaking of....

Pelosie....see Drudge for the latest photo. When I hear this beetle’s voice, she sounds like and now she looks like she needs to be in an asylum.

[TribalPrincess2U]

Lol

I just read your comment. I too thought of her.

[pankot]

Because she is the leading cause of “dung” in Washington.

[dr_lew]

Unlike many of the animals we usually associate with elaborate horns, antlers, or other head weaponry—in which the male has the most impressive set—dung beetle females have horns that put the male version to shame.

There are many thousands of species of dung beetles, and in many of them the males have horns which they use to fight with one another for reproductive rights. Here is an article from 2005 about the evolutionary diversity of male dung beetle horns.

The authors of this article seem to be claiming to have found one species where the females display these horns, and this is of course being hysterically over-reported by Discover, in service to the cause of radical egalitarianism. It's so natural to them, they don't even know they're doing it.