Sexually extravagant male birds age more rapidly, but try to hide it
Thursday, August 4, 2011 - 09:30
in Biology & Nature
For male houbara bustards sexual extravagance is the key to attracting mates in some of the world's harshest desert environments. However, new research in Ecology Letters reveals that males who perform the most extravagant sexual displays will suffer from premature biological aging and will pass their reproductive prime years earlier than their less ostentatious rivals.