Castrated" Spiders Are Better Fighters, Study Says

National Geographiic ^ | March 30th 2011 | .Charles Q. Choi

[Cardhu]

"With genitals gone, battling males "have nothing to lose.".

[brytlea]

Well, and what else do they have to do?

[Mayr Fortuna]

Hey Freepers?

Does that mean that a “test” should be made castrating our military to see if the get even more “aggressive”?

[mkmensinger]

“In many spider species, males have sex using two appendages known as pedipalps. But males will often lose one or both pedipalps during the act—behavior that might seem like a bad idea evolutionarily, since it renders the male sterile.”
Sucks to be a spider.

[Lazamataz]

Not only that, but they go gay, too.

[Sacajaweau]

Better fighter because he no longer thinks with his.....

IIRC, fighters have to stay away from their "partners" before a fight....so I'd say the "energy" level is changed.

[Liberty1970]

Jannisaries (sp)? Weren’t they eunuchs?

[Tzimisce]

You're paying millions of dollars so scientists can watch spiders fight.

Have a nice day. :)

[SIDENET]

The scientists think that, once a male has lost his means of procreating, he protects his investment further by becoming a superwarrior.

Sounds like something from a hag feminist.

LOL.

[adorno]

"But the ultimate reason for this behavior is that eunuchs, with no reproductive future, have nothing to lose and risk more in contests."

To me, that conclusion sounds a bit asinine.

Those researchers are attributing to those spiders a behavior through a "thought pattern" that psychologists might give to humans when they feel that all is lost and they have nothing to lose and therefore, they risk everything in homicidal or suicidal acts. Why not just leave it at aggression attributable to a change in hormones?

[SIDENET]

"Nice web, Mr Crack Spider."

[LaybackLenny]

Castrated Spiders Are Better Fighters, Study Says

By this way of thinking, Congressional Republicans ought to be kicking major DemocraP butt. (sigh)

[dljordan]

“Does that mean that a “test” should be made castrating our military to see if the get even more “aggressive”? “

If you tried to castrate me I would certainly get more aggressive.

[SunkenCiv]

Of course, it’s tricky finding spider junk, so probably the researchers wound up with a bunch of three-legged castrated spiders.

[mountainlion]

They make better singers also. Lets try it for politicians.

[JoeProBono]

[seowulf]

I wonder if National Geographic is published in Arabic.

This is knowledge that jihadis everywhere must have.

[Cardhu]

Now that is a good idea.

[Migraine]

Well, now I know why moths are so aggressive. With sll those moth balls on the market, they’ve got nothing else to lose...

[Jaxter]

Well, if you kick like a girl and you have eight legs..