Blind Males

#Blind_males”: #lack_of_discrimination_of_sex (Possibility).
#BSF_males are just #not_capable of telling the difference between #males and #females.

In a recent study by Manas et al. (2023) from the University of Tours (France), they discovered something quite entertaining.

Manas et al. (2023) observed male #BSF live in different #social_context, like being #alone_or_in_groups.

#Males_in_groups (only males) show more sperm cells generation in their body than males alone. It turns out, #flies_feel_peer_pressure too! They try to outcompete each other by producing more sperm, hoping to increase their chances of successful reproduction. This cool phenomenon is called “#sperm_competition,” an #evolutionary_adaptation.

Now, here’s the big question:  do these male flies #allocate_more_sperm to females when they’re under peer pressure? To figure out, Manas et al. (2023) set up an interesting experiment. They let individual male flies mate with others while being alone or in a group of 10 males or females.

You’d think that being around #more_males might make the mating male allocate more sperm with females, right? Or maybe they’d get distracted by the #abundance_of_females and produce less sperm overall. But brace yourself for the unexpected results – there was #no_difference_in_sperm_allocation, regardless of whether males or females were around! It seems like BSF males are just not capable of telling the difference between males and females.

But wait, how do these flies even #recognize #females for mating then? Is it through chemical signals or sounds? It’s a mystery that remains #unsolved. If they struggle to discriminate, it’s like they’re spending extra #time and #energy on figuring things out. But here’s the kicker – these male BSF may increase their reproductive success simply by trying to #mate_with_as_many_partners as possible.

Isn’t nature just full of surprising twists?