Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Castrated" Spiders Are Better Fighters, Study Says
National Geographiic ^ | March 30th 2011 | .Charles Q. Choi

Posted on 04/02/2011 3:20:09 PM PDT by Cardhu

Although emasculated spiders can no longer be lovers, they are better fighters, a new study says.

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.

(Related pictures: "'Torture' Phalluses Give Beetles Breeding Boost.")

Scientists have proposed that such genital amputation plugs up a female to help ensure that other males don't successfully impregnate her.

To learn more about why male spiders become eunuchs, scientists examined the mating behaviors of the Southeast Asian orb web spider, Nephilengys malabarensis. (Related: "Largest Web-Spinning Spider Found.")

The scientists found that amputated genitals effectively plugged up a female spider 75 percent of the time. In addition, the team saw that males with missing genitals were far more aggressive and active in guarding females.

During contests between males, full eunuchs that had lost both pedipalps were better fighters than half eunuchs and intact males, the study showed. Overall, the eunuchs were more than three times more likely to attack, chase, and defeat any rivals.

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

"We think, but are not sure, that the changes in behavior may be due to changing hormone levels" triggered by losing the pedipalps, said study co-author Matjaž Kuntner, a spider expert at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Ljubljana.

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

(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalgeographic.com ...


TOPICS: Education; Outdoors
KEYWORDS: eunuchs; fighting; mating; spiders
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last
To: JoeProBono

GUILTY!!!!!!


21 posted on 04/02/2011 3:52:28 PM PDT by bobby.223
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: seowulf

“This is knowledge that jihadis everywhere must have.”

Well, maybe not if they are in it for the 72 virgins
in the afterlife..........


22 posted on 04/02/2011 4:00:15 PM PDT by Sivad (NorCal Red Turf)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Liberty1970

No.The Janiassarie Corps was composed of Christian youth from the Balkans taken by the Ottomans as a form of tax. They were raised as wards of the Sultan and trained to be professional soldiers.

Eunuchs were used by the Ottomans in political and governing roles by the Ottomans, and were often a power behind the throne kind of deal, like their counterparts in the various chinese dynasties. But they were not part of the Janissarie Corps. which eventually, like the Praetorian Guard and the Roman Legions, got into the business of choosing [or trying to] new Sultans.


23 posted on 04/02/2011 4:03:25 PM PDT by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Cardhu

The principle is simple: You cut my nuts off, I will not rest until I kill you and all your associates.


24 posted on 04/02/2011 4:04:47 PM PDT by MIchaelTArchangel (Obama makes me miss Jimmah Cahtah!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MIchaelTArchangel

So...just why isn’t nobama a better “fighter”?


25 posted on 04/02/2011 4:05:30 PM PDT by hal ogen (1st amendment or reeducation camp?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Cardhu
I don't know why, but this reminds me of the old frog story:

- A scientist conducting an experiment with a frog yelled "Jump", and the frog jumped 20 feet.
- He sedated the frog and removed one leg. He hollered "Jump", and the frog jumped 15 feet.
- After removing the second leg, the frog could jump 10 feet, and jumped 5 feet with 3 legs removed.
- The fourth leg was then removed, and the frog did not jump, no matter how loud the scientist shouted. The scientist concluded "With no legs the frog cannot hear".

26 posted on 04/02/2011 4:06:45 PM PDT by ken in texas (Can't Afford a Tagline... send money.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cardhu

Does the preferred method of extraction involve
a corral and a squeeze chute or open range roping?
Could one of our resident aracno cowboys please
enlighten us? Also, is branding done at the same
time?


27 posted on 04/02/2011 4:09:24 PM PDT by Sivad (NorCal Red Turf)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cardhu

Don’t ask, don’t tell.


28 posted on 04/02/2011 4:27:48 PM PDT by jimfree (In 2012 Sarah Palin will continue to have more relevant quality executive experience than B. Obama.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LaybackLenny

I hate Spidwes and snakes. I didn’t need to know all this. But like you said, it doesn’t seem to work that way on Pubbies.


29 posted on 04/02/2011 4:35:04 PM PDT by barb-tex (Oh Well, I don't actually KNOW he is a Muzzie!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Cardhu

castrated = a whole new level of “pissed off”


30 posted on 04/02/2011 4:44:15 PM PDT by twhitak
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

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

Well, I know that if you *tried* to castrate my husband and son-in-law, they'd become more aggressive...

31 posted on 04/02/2011 4:48:35 PM PDT by Marie (Obama seems to think that Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel since Camp David, not King David)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Mayr Fortuna

We could begin with Barney Frank to see if it has the same effect on politicians.

We do know that an eunuch has on average, a 13 year longer life compared to a normal man.


32 posted on 04/02/2011 4:48:44 PM PDT by donmeaker ("Get off my lawn." Clint Eastwood, Green Ford Torino)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Cardhu
Could a scientific article be any more giddily anthropomorphic?

Better lovers? Heck, many species get eaten alive during "the act." Lovers? More like the Thrall on Star Trek, they're compelled to do it and cannot do otherwise. Wouldn't you be a little cranky if your junk got ripped out the first time you had sex? Hey, if "scientists" get to engage in anthropomorphism, I can too, lol.

At least these poor little buggers get a second go at it, and are even crankier still when they get turned all Ken-Doll by their "lover." Surprise! Not. Sheesh.

33 posted on 04/02/2011 4:49:12 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: donmeaker
We do know that an eunuch has on average, a 13 year longer life compared to a normal man.

yeah, they don't have wives....what's so hard to understand about that??

34 posted on 04/02/2011 6:56:08 PM PDT by terycarl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Lazamataz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnHd6rNRrmM
35 posted on 04/03/2011 10:41:26 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of kinetic military action.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson