Brawn and speed make the grade during mate selection
Monday, September 12, 2011 - 07:31
in Biology & Nature
Do more efficient and faster male birds win females over? New research from the United Kingdom suggests that the rock ptarmigan, the Arctic cousin of the grouse, does. University of Manchester researchers have found that male rock ptarmigans run up to 50% faster than females, making them significantly more efficient and successful at breeding, not to mention better defenders of their territories. Presented in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the study indicates that physiology is a determining factor in sexual selection, rather than physical appearance, which is usually the case.