When a female “burying beetle” is focused on caring for babies and not making new ones, she releases a chemical signal to her libidinous mate that says in no uncertain terms, “Honey, I’m not in the mood.”
Scientists described on Tuesday how these females employ an anti-aphrodisiac chemical during a three-day period critical for raising offspring to tell the male she is temporary infertile and prevent him from trying to copulate.
The study focused on a beetle species, Nicrophorus vespilloides, known for burying carcasses of small animals like birds and rodents as food for their larvae.
It provides insight into how animals change their behaviour to provide care for their young, in this instance favouring parenting over sexual activity to produce new offspring.
“Our study helps to understand animal family life and how it is coordinated between family members,” said biologist Sandra Steiger of Germany’s University of Ulm, who led the study published in l Nature Communications.
“It is kind of intriguing that such mechanisms exist in animals and that animal parents synchronise their mating and parental-care behaviour for their own benefit and that of the children,” Ms. Steiger added. Reuters
Scientists described on Tuesday how these females employ an anti-aphrodisiac chemical during a three-day period critical for raising offspring to tell the male she is temporary infertile and prevent him from trying to copulate.
The study focused on a beetle species, Nicrophorus vespilloides, known for burying carcasses of small animals like birds and rodents as food for their larvae.
It provides insight into how animals change their behaviour to provide care for their young, in this instance favouring parenting over sexual activity to produce new offspring.
“Our study helps to understand animal family life and how it is coordinated between family members,” said biologist Sandra Steiger of Germany’s University of Ulm, who led the study published in l Nature Communications.
“It is kind of intriguing that such mechanisms exist in animals and that animal parents synchronise their mating and parental-care behaviour for their own benefit and that of the children,” Ms. Steiger added. Reuters