Female lizards in California have shown that, when it comes
to choosing a mate, what matters most is the property he owns rather than any
other attribute he might possess!
The lizards in question are side-blotched lizards (Uta
stansburiana) that, being cold-blooded, depend on the heat of the sun. They
live on rocky outcrops and the most prized site for basking is a boulder that
stays illuminated for as much of the day as possible and has crevices
underneath it that offer a hiding place should a predator turn up as well as a
place where a female can lay her eggs.
The best boulders are subject to intense competition among male
lizards, and soon become the property of the alphas in any lizard community. They
then get to breed with the most females, which is all to the good in terms of
species survival.
However, experiments have been done that show that being an
alpha male is not in itself the reason why females will gravitate in his
direction. When top-rated boulders are taken away from an alpha and given to a much
punier male, the latter suddenly becomes a lot more popular with the ladies, probably
much to his surprise.
It would appear that it is not only human females who can be
seduced by the best rock in the window!
No comments:
Post a Comment