Researchers Discover Size Does Matter For NZ Insects
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 16:28
in Biology & Nature
(PhysOrg.com) -- After a night on the prowl, locating a willing mate holds the promise of a private cuddle, a whole day of canoodling, and 14-15 opportunities to “make hay.” For the giant weta of New Zealand, a quirk in sexual selection means coupling owes more to speed than brawn. U of T Mississauga biology professor Darryl Gwynne and two of his former PhD students, Clint Kelly and Luc Bussière, travelled to the South Pacific to challenge the traditional predictor of evolutionary fitness that suggests strength is the most important factor for success in getting mates.