In Photos: Cave Insects With Sex-Reversed Genitals: Page 2

Page 2 of 2:

Page 2

Cave biology

inside a cave in brazil — (Image credit: Current Biology, Yoshizawa et al.)

The researchers suspect this strange reversal of sex roles evolved because of the generous amounts of nutritious semen that males include within their sperm capsules as nuptial gifts for their mates. The caves in which these insects live (an example shown here) are poor in resources, making it advantageous for females to mate more often.

Current page: Page 2

Prev Page Page 1

TOPICS

For the science geek in everyone, Live Science offers a fascinating window into the natural and technological world, delivering comprehensive and compelling news and analysis on everything from dinosaur discoveries, archaeological finds and amazing animals to health, innovation and wearable technology. We aim to empower and inspire our readers with the tools needed to understand the world and appreciate its everyday awe.

More about insects

'A relationship that could horrify Darwin': Mindy Weisberger on the skin-crawling reality of insect zombification

'The parasite was in the driver's seat': The zombie ants that die gruesome deaths fit for a horror movie

Robots: Facts about machines that can walk, talk or do tasks that humans can't (or won't)

See more latest