Co-opulation: Sometimes It Takes More Than 2 to Tango [Slide Show]

News | Evolution

How insect sperm team up to navigate complicated female reproductive tracts

By Sarah Fecht ?| February 21, 2012

Image: Dawn Higginson/Biological Reviews

Dawn Higginson thought it was strange when she learned that some diving beetles produce sperm that fuse together at the head like Siamese twins. But when the postdoctoral researcher from the University of Arizona began asking why such conjugate gametes form, things only got even stranger. The sperm of the diving beetle, which gets its name from its ability to swim underwater, occur in many shapes and forms. Whereas a few species make standard tadpole-shaped swimmers, others generate sperm that stack together like traffic cones to form long, many-tailed filaments. Some species even generate two different types of sperm that work together to navigate through the female's fertilization duct.

View the sperm diversity slide show.

"We're trying to understand why on Earth would you do this?" Higginson says. "It requires a lot of energy and specialized machinery to make these conjugates."

In a study published February 7 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Higginson and her colleagues hypothesized that female choice might actually be playing a role in the evolution of the strange sperm morphologies. The reproductive tracts of female diving beetles come in several different tortuous sizes and shapes, Higginson says. Much as the preferences of peahens caused peacocks to develop elaborate tails, Higginson thinks that the complex twists and turns of female water beetles' reproductive tracts act like an obstacle course that only the best-adapted sperm can navigate.

So she and her team analyzed whether there were correlations between female reproductive form and sperm morphology across 42 species of diving beetles.

They found that, in species where the female reproductive tract is short and wide, sperm are more likely to work together in conjugate forms. In species where the female reproductive tract is long and thin, the sperm of that species tend to travel alone. Higginson hypothesizes that this difference may occur because as solo sperm swim through slender reproductive tracts, their flagella may bump into the walls, allowing them to anchor or push off the walls and reach the unfertilized egg faster than a clump of sperm might. In wider reproductive tracts, long sperm conjugates have an easier time propelling themselves by pushing off of the more distant wall.

Previous studies have found evidence that the shape of the female reproductive tract may drive simple traits in sperm, such as tail length or head shape, but Higginson's research is the first to look at how females might influence the cooperation between sperm, says Tommaso Pizzari, a zoologist who studies sexual selection at the University of Oxford in England.

"The fact that the sperm have to join forces to get to the egg creates an evolutionary conundrum," he says, because the evolutionary interests of the male and the interests of his sperm are not always in alignment. A male is equally related to all of his sperm, so his evolutionary fitness is enhanced if any of them is able to fertilize the egg. His sperm however, share only about 50 percent of their genes with each other, so each sperm competes fiercely to be the one that fertilizes an egg. "It may be that as the risk that another male will inseminate the female increases, the interests of the male and the sperm become more aligned with each other," because the sperm of one male are more related to each other than to those of another male, Pizzari says. He hopes that future studies will investigate whether there is a correlation between mating system type and sperm conjugation across diving-beetle species.

Sperm competition and conflicts between male and female interests?as well as random chance?have led to a host of outlandish sperm adaptations in other animals as well. View the slide show to find out more.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=85a727d11a094617ba9e773ad0107bb3

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February 20, 2012, 11:18 am

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Colon Weight Loss Surgery Today! | New Health and Fitness

New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use

In the past, weight loss surgery was often regarded as an extreme course of action for your morbidly obese. Weight loss surgery was mainly a risky proposition usually involving slicing into the digestive tract and re-routing or stapling. Even today, it is true that several types of bariatric surgery are invasive, difficult to slow and can cause serious additional complications. But, as more technology appears to surgeons, weight loss surgery has become easier and less risky than previously and thus, more common.

Attempting to lose weight for, many people, can be exceedingly irritating. No matter how much dieting or perhaps exercise they do, nothing may seem to help. Whether it is due to a innate component, a malfunction with the metabolism, or some delicate imbalance in the body, willpower in addition to dedication are not enough.

Wls has become a more mainstream selection as new procedures and also technology make it less unpleasant and safer. A number of types of weight loss surgery are commonly performed for obese patients. One of the more current surgery procedures is the Lap-Band. The actual Lap-Band apparatus, an adjustable rubber diamond ring, is positioned around a individuals stomach in order to restrict the volume of food and liquids which could enter the stomach. This Hard to stick to type of weigh loss surgery treatment does not affect the normal digestion regarding food or nutrients, compared with Mal absorptive surgery types.

Mal absorptive weight loss surgery is a lot more invasive, in other words, it requires more internal surgical work, in comparison with other types. Ameliorative surgery shortens the digestive tract and limits the level of calories that can be absorbed into our body. Amalgamations of restrictive and mal absorptive weigh up loss surgery procedures also are typically used. These surgeries restrict the amount of food within the stomach as well as reduce number of calories that can be absorbed by the body processes.

Carrying around too much excess weight can cause myriad health and over emotional difficulties. The overweight tend to be more liable to experience heart problems, blood pressure levels, diabetes and other health problems. People who find themselves morbidly obese often have a faster lifespan, as well.

You may want to take into consideration weight loss surgery, if traditional fat loss methods have failed. Each one of the several above types of weigh reduction surgery has its own benefits and drawbacks, hence its important to speak to a weight loss surgery specialist to find out if one of the surgeries is a good solution to suit your needs.

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Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/02/21/colon-weight-loss-surgery-today/

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Khloe & Lamar Season 2 Premiere Recap: Brotherly Battles and Sex Swings

On the season two premiere of Khloe & Lamar, viewers watched one Kardashian sibling grow frustrated by her man's lack of sexual desire, while another Kardashian sister got annoyed by that same man's inattentive friendship.

Read on for THG's recap of the episode, +/- style...

We see shots of Kim Kardashian pretending to kry over Kris Humphries. MINUS 127.

Khloe refers to Lamar as "Lammie." MINUS 1.

Lamar laments Rob Kardashian moving out. He looks to be on the verge of tears. PLUS 7 for what appears to be a legitimate bromance.

Khloe installs her own sex swing, saying "this is like, so much work, to be a sexual person." It proceeds to collapse the moment she sits in it. PLUS 8 for Khloe's efforts, and PLUS 8 more for our avoidance of any fat jokes here.

Rob is mad at Lamar for not attending his Dancing with the Stars tapings. Lamar is mad at Rob for blowing off lunch with him and Khloe. MINUS 11 for this bromance turning into a romance.

"I haven't seen this many sex toys since college," says Lamar upon enterting Khloe's "Sex Chamber of Love." MINUS 17 for lying. The guy went to the University of Rhode Island, not Arizona State.

"Men get more hormonal periods than women do," Khloe says. MINUS 3 for using the word period.

"Even when I'm not there, he should know I'm still there. Sometimes, though, I think he wants me there in a physical sense." PLUS 4 for Lamar finally getting it.

MINUS 13 for Rob and Lamar's handshake.

MINUS 3 for Khloe and Lamar's wedding photo blanket.

Khloe realizes that what she has with Lamar is "pure" and doesn't have to always be based sex. PLUS 5 for coming to that realization and PLUS 4 for the episode ending with Lamar motor-boating his wide.

TOTAL: Minus 147

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/02/khloe-and-lamar-season-2-premiere-recap-brotherly-battles-and-se/

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Is Orange UK going to launch an own-label Intel smartphone?

What we have here folks is a good old spoonful of rumor. Simon Hardy, a reader over at Coolsmartphone found himself presented with this image for completing a market research survey for Orange UK. 

The story goes that today said reader was asked to complete a survey on a phone the network will be introducing in the future known as the Orange London. Following on from such devices as the Tahiti, San Francisco and Monte Carlo, the name certainly fits the bill. 

What sets this apart from previous Orange efforts are the specs. Fast Intel processor, 16GB internal storage, 8MP camera with HD capabilities and the "best ever" phone camera stabilizer. Gorilla Glass over a 4-inch screen and what appears to be a front facing camera completes the spec list. One thing that is missing though is any mention of an OS, something which Hardy made a point of noting in his survey responses.

Looking at this render, it looks pretty much like we're not expecting any surprises -- any none Android surprises that is. The four traditional Android capacitive buttons are all present, but that's about all we have to go on. It isn't a bad looking device though, somewhat reminiscent of the LG Optimus 2X. 

There are some bold claims being made in the descriptions too, notably the "highest browsing speeds vs any other phone in the world." After the Intel keynote as CES though even this isn't too far fetched. Remember the comparision with the competitor product? 

Another question that springs to mind is just who would be making such a device on their behalf? Previous smartphone efforts have been produced by ZTE, and the Tahiti is a re-badged Huawei Mediapad. Could it be possible that a new alliance has been formed with Lenovo? With MWC around the corner though it's just as possible that more Intel partners will start to emerge. 

Of course this could all just be a giant hoax. As with every render we see leaked across the web, until we actually get our hands on something real, it might not be real. If it is though, Orange might just be about to raise their game. 

Source: Coolsmartphone

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/8uzkjS3ahX4/story01.htm

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Why Online Dating Sites Don't Work | IdeaFeed | Big Think

What's the Latest Development?

In an analysis of 313 studies on established relationships, psychologists found that the metrics measured by online dating sites, such as personality traits and attitudes, had virtually no effect on relationship well-being. In another, more recent study, "23,000 married couples showed that similarity on the major dimensions of personality, like neuroticism, impulsivity and extroversion, accounted for a mere 0.5 percent of how satisfied spouses were with their marriages." That leaves 99.5 percent to other factors. ?

What's the Big Idea?

With their match-making algorithms, online dating sites aspire to science. But social psychologists say such sites cannot possibly forecast the success of long-term relationships. That is because the things that make an established relationship tick are things people learn about each other only after they have met. Nor can online dating sites account for life stresses which deeply affect relationship stability. Online dating is no worse a method than meeting romantic partners in a bar or on the subway. But it?s no better either, say researchers.

Photo credit: shutterstock.com

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Read it at the New York Times

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In Defense of Online Dating

Helen Fisher

Biological Anthropologist

Source: http://bigthink.com/ideas/42453

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