1 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: I guess what will what's that? Mango? So I was 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: reading the story in the New Yorker about tennis grunts, 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: and as you know, I'm a tennis fan, and we've 4 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: already talked about how grunting can help a player hit harder. 5 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: I like how we've talked about tennis grunting multiple times. 6 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: I do remember this fact that actually there is a 7 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: slight advantage to grunting when you hit, because it, I 8 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: guess it kind of muffles the sound of the ball 9 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 1: hitting the racket, so you don't know the precise moment 10 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: when it hits. Right. Yeah, that's right. But the article 11 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:31,479 Speaker 1: was about something slightly different. So apparently this researcher published 12 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 1: a paper on how just by studying the grunts during 13 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 1: a game, you can actually predict which opponent is going 14 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: to win. And the researcher came up with this massive 15 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: taxonomy of grunts, and he analyzed the tones and the pitches, 16 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: and he came up with the system that actually beat 17 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: Bookie's best guesses. But what was most interesting was that 18 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,879 Speaker 1: the researcher published this paper in a journal called Animal Behavior. 19 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: And you only came to the conclusion because it mimicked 20 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: what he was studying in Red male deer like the 21 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: deer actually face off in this grunt match where they 22 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: bark at each other from a few feet away, and 23 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: it's what the New York referred to as a volley 24 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 1: of roars. But as one starts becoming more dominant, the 25 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 1: others grunts weaken and get thinner, and eventually they lose 26 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: the match and the opportunity to make that's so funny. 27 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: So but it works the same way in tennis or what. Yeah, basically, 28 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: so when the grunting is stronger, you can tell which 29 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: player is controlling the game. But the whole story made 30 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: me think, like, why do male dear use grunting at 31 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: one another is a way to win the maids affections? 32 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: And why don't they do dances or something we're creative 33 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: like build things? And what exactly are the strangest courtship 34 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: tricks in the animal Kingdom? So let's dive in, say 35 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: their podcast listeners, welcome to part I'm genius, I'm Will 36 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: Pearson and as always I'm joined by my good friend 37 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: Manesh Ticketer. And on the other side of the soundproof 38 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: glass drafting. What is that a Craigslist at in search 39 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: of a skydiving partner. That's our friend, the producer, Tristan McNeil. 40 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: And if that sounds like a weird way to find 41 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: a companion, well, I think you're right. It is a 42 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:21,360 Speaker 1: weird way. Well, in his defense, Tristan's flann was inspired 43 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: by the mating habits of bald eagles. So bald eagles 44 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: actually used a special kind of skydiving when they're testing 45 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: out potential mates. So first the love birds fly super high, 46 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: and then they lock their talents together and start tumbling 47 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 1: and cartwheeling towards the ground. This is a move that 48 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: researchers actually referred to as the death spiral. The death spiral. Yeah, 49 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: so it gives you an idea of the stakes, and 50 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: the birds mostly let go before they hit the ground. 51 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: But the whole thing is a test that the eagles 52 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: can judge each other's fitness and whether they're good enough 53 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: for each other to be a match, and if they are, 54 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 1: they'll actually mate for life and they won't have to 55 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: do this sort of dating technique thing again the next year. Wait, though, 56 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: I'm back to Tristan, like, is that what he's basing 57 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: his plan on or what I think? So? And It's 58 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: why maya motto is always never take dating advice from 59 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: birds of prey. That's pretty good advice there, Mango. Well, 60 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: you know, the animal kingdom is full of plenty of 61 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: other equally dangerous and complex or just downright bizarre mating habits. 62 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,079 Speaker 1: You know, you think about like the fist pumping fiddler 63 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: crabs to the O. C. D. Bower birds. It's it's 64 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: a wild world out there when it comes to the 65 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: animal love lives. And so with that in mind, we 66 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: thought it'd be fond to devote an entire episode to 67 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: some of the weirdest and most surprising courtships from all 68 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: kinds of different species. So we'll look at all the 69 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: biological reasons behind each animal's preferred method of attraction and 70 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: who knows, maybe we'll pick up a few tips along 71 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: the way. Well probably not for these first year, because 72 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: I thought we could follow Tristan's lead and get some 73 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: of the scarier mating habits out of the way first. 74 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: And if you look into it, there are actually a 75 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: lot of those. So humans have the luxury of thinking 76 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: of sex and positive and pretty pleasurable terms, but for 77 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: most other animals, sex is strictly for survival where creating 78 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: offspring is really the only goal, and many of the 79 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: tactics for getting there tend to be pretty unpleasant. So 80 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: there's this bilogist, Karen Bonder, and this is how she 81 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: put it. From bugs to mammals and everything in between. 82 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: The scene is set for violence, conflict, and war. There's 83 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 1: no champagne, no roses. So on that note, where do 84 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 1: you want to start? Well, I don't know if I 85 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 1: want to talk about war, but I do want to 86 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,239 Speaker 1: start with Arabian camels. Now, these are the one humped 87 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:30,840 Speaker 1: camels that you'll find mainly in the deserts of like 88 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 1: the Middle East and in Africa. And while they do 89 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,479 Speaker 1: have all kinds of cool ways to help their bodies 90 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: retain water and beat that scorching heat where they live, 91 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: the males of the species also have this really gross 92 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: adaptation that they use just to let the lady camels 93 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: know they're in the mood. So I like the word gross. 94 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: Go on, Well, it's called a dulla and it's basically 95 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 1: this inflatable air sack in the male camel's throat. So 96 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: when one of these guys is ready to make they'll 97 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,279 Speaker 1: puff up a dollar and once it's nice and big. 98 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,360 Speaker 1: They flop it out of the side of their mouth 99 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: for all the females to see. How did I not 100 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: see one of these things before? Until we were doing 101 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 1: the research for this episode? Had you seen one before? 102 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: And the thing is just nasty, Like, it's pink and 103 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: slimy and definitely doesn't look like something you'd want hanging 104 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: out of your boyfriend's mouth on thing, But apparently that's 105 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: what camels are into. I mean, that does sound disgusting, 106 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: But is that where it ends? Like, do they just 107 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: fluff this gross airstack out of the mounds and then 108 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: just the ladies come running, Well, you'd think, but actually 109 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,480 Speaker 1: it's just the beginning. So once they're dollars are inflated, 110 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: the Arabian camels start gurgling their spit to produce this deep, 111 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: low mating sound. And this gurgling gets so intense that 112 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: the camels start foaming at the mouth, which is of 113 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: course just like that makes their dullars that much grosser. 114 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: But if that isn't enough to catch a lady camel's eye, 115 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: the males will then you know, they use use a 116 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 1: good trick. They pee on their tails and the wave 117 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: them around to spread their pharomones through the air. It's 118 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: just beautiful. Yeah, I mean, they seem like a bunch 119 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: of Casanova's. But it does remind me of male hooded 120 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 1: seals and how they inflate this special part of their 121 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: nostrils to attract a mate. So you know what I'm 122 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: talking about. I know what you're talking about. Yeah, I mean, 123 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: it's that part of the nasal membrane that's actually called 124 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: the hood, and that's what gives the seals their names. 125 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: And when they blow it up to full size, it 126 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: looks like a big foot long pink bubble just sticking 127 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: out of their nose and it is so gross. I mean, 128 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 1: it's also amazing that, like so many different species would 129 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:39,359 Speaker 1: be attracted to having like giant skin blooms from your face. 130 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: It's just so weird. But but speaking of things erupting 131 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 1: out of faces, that's just apparently what we're doing here today. 132 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: Have you ever heard of the emay mustache toad? I haven't, 133 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: but I love this idea of like little toads with 134 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: handled bar mustaches. Well that would be much cuter than 135 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 1: what this thing actually does. So for one at the year, 136 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: all the male email toads grow a row of extremely 137 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: sharp facial spikes and these all are just above their mouth, 138 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: and these spikes are tough enough that they grow straight 139 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: through the toad skin. They're actually made of keratin, which 140 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: is the same substance that our fingernails are made out of. 141 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: But the best part about these spiky whiskers is their name. 142 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: Scientists refer to these as nuptial spines, which is just 143 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: so sweet, don't you think? Maybe? I mean, I feel 144 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 1: like I don't know enough about them to judge them 145 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: some What are they doing with these nuptial spines? Well, 146 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: they're really for defense more than anything else. And if 147 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: you think about breeding season, it can be pretty competitive 148 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: for a lot of animals, and of course these toads 149 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: are no exception of that. So the males will frequently 150 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: fight each other for the best nesting sites and these 151 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 1: nuptial spines are their weapon of choice. So basically, the 152 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: toads try to get their spikes underneath an opponent so 153 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: they can flip him over. And the spikes are really 154 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: well suited for this, and if any of them are 155 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: broken off during a tussle, they actually just grow right back. 156 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: And then once the breeding season is over, they all 157 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: fall off naturally. That's crazy. Yeah, I mean I do 158 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: like this idea of just watching these tiny frogs poke 159 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: at each other with their mustache just for the right 160 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: to mate with a woman, just being a lady toe 161 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: and be like they're doing that for me, just spiking 162 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: each other. It's pretty amazing. So it's being a weird 163 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: habits that. There's this tiny marsupial in Australia. It's called 164 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: the antagonists, and they kind of look like a mix 165 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: between a rat and a mole, and they go through 166 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: an absolutely excruciating breeding process. It's actually called speed mating, 167 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: which makes it sound cooler than it actually is. But basically, 168 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: every year around springtime, all the males go into this 169 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:42,440 Speaker 1: testosterone fueled frenzy and for the next two or three 170 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: weeks they just mate around the clock. Like this is 171 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: an exaggeration, Like these guys stop eating, stop sleeping, They 172 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: just go from partner to partner. They spend fourteen hours 173 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,320 Speaker 1: straight with each one is as just a crazy board. 174 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: I mean, how do they sustain that kind of pace? 175 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: You think all the males would just keel over at 176 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: some point. So that's the thing they do, Like all 177 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: the adult males were born after the premis mating season, 178 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: but not a single one of them is going to 179 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: live that full twelve months. Like they literally made themselves 180 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: to death. And it's during that two or three week 181 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 1: vendor and it is grizzly to their fur falls out, 182 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: they go blind, they get these internal bruisings and uh, 183 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: and then they just keep on mating. Ultimately, it's the 184 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: male's testosterone levels, which are just sky high that kind 185 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: of proves that I'm doing And this is how Wired 186 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 1: breaks it down. Quote. While the testosterone mobilizes all the 187 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: sugars and the antagonist's body so it doesn't need to 188 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 1: feed for the three week orgy, it also glitches the 189 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: mechanism response both regulating the production of cortisol, a stress hormone. 190 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:45,959 Speaker 1: Then small amounts results in bursts of energy and higher 191 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: paid intolerances. With runaway levels of cortisol, though, the male's 192 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 1: bodies literally begin to fall apart, bone density plummets, blood 193 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 1: sugar levels go nuts, their immune systems essentially degrade to 194 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 1: worthlessness as open source form and never heal. Of course, 195 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: females are also quite stressed during all of this, but 196 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,439 Speaker 1: they don't produce anywhere near the same levels of testosterone, 197 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 1: so their cortisol regulation remains normal well, and then the females, 198 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 1: if they survive, which I guess most of them do, 199 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,320 Speaker 1: they have to go through that nightmare all over again 200 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 1: the next year. So yeah, it seems pretty rough for 201 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: all involved. Yeah, I mean, the one good thing is 202 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: that they do get a little bit of peace and 203 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 1: quiet once that year's crops of males have all died out. 204 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:26,680 Speaker 1: You know, the females get to catch up on some 205 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: rest and then like a few weeks into the spring, 206 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:31,440 Speaker 1: the forest filled with insects for them to feast on. 207 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: And you know, now that half the population has gone, 208 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: it's just easier to eat. It's clearly not a perfect 209 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 1: system though. In fact, there was this one ecologist named 210 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: Andrew Baker who recently said, quote, if you have to 211 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: sit down and design a reproductive system, you wouldn't come 212 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: up with this one. It's the only option they've gone 213 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: for carrying on the species. So you know, what are 214 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: you gonna do? I think stay away from Australia during 215 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 1: mating season. Pretty bizarre, all right? Well, My next Gary 216 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: animal courtship belongs to the angler fish, and this is 217 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: another one of the males willingly destroy themselves for the 218 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 1: sake of breeding, but it's a much more gradual destruction 219 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: in this case, and the females definitely come out the 220 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: clear winners on this one. So I actually think I've 221 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:13,400 Speaker 1: heard of this one. It's where the males are like parasites, right, 222 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 1: that's right, And to be specific, we're talking about a 223 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: particular suborder of the angler fish. These are the serratioids, 224 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 1: and they account for only twenty five or so of 225 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: the hundred and sixty known species of deep sea anglers. Now, 226 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,400 Speaker 1: the females belonging to the suborder just look like what 227 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:31,679 Speaker 1: you think of when you picture an angler fish. You've 228 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 1: got those huge mouths full of those needle like teeth, 229 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: and that long curved stalk with a glowing tip to 230 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 1: light the way for the smaller, unlucky fish. It's just 231 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: amazing to look at those things. Evolution and action of 232 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 1: just unbelievable. But the male serratioids don't look like this 233 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: at all. There's no needle teeth, no hanging lantern, and 234 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,559 Speaker 1: the weirdest thing of all, they are about sixty times 235 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:58,440 Speaker 1: smaller than the female. Sixty times. Yeah. So, in fact, 236 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: in the nineteenth century, one signed has first started classifying 237 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 1: the ratioids. They only worked with the female specimens because 238 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 1: they didn't even recognize the males as belonging to the 239 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 1: same species. It was this big scientific mystery, like where 240 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: are all the males? And it wasn't until the mid 241 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 1: nineteen twenties that scientists realized what was going on. And 242 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 1: that was when one researcher finally decided to dissect these 243 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 1: smaller fish that were attached to the side of the 244 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 1: female angler fish. And as it turned out, the male 245 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: fish were right under their noses the whole time. They've 246 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 1: just been either ignored or misclassified. So I'm fascinated by this, 247 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: like how exactly did the males get attached to the 248 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:38,199 Speaker 1: females and are they just kind of stuck there on 249 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:40,680 Speaker 1: the sides? Yeah. So, so the way that works is 250 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,200 Speaker 1: that the male angler starts to hunt for a mate 251 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: by following this very species specific pheromone that the females 252 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 1: give off. And the males actually have the biggest nostrils 253 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: in proportion to their heads of any other animal on 254 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 1: the planet, so they at least have that bragging drive 255 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 1: and so they're well equipped for this job, and apparently 256 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: only one percent of these else ratioids ever actually find 257 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 1: a female tonight with hard to believe. So for the 258 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 1: lucky few who do find a mate, the next step 259 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 1: is to bite into her belly and on for dear life. 260 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,080 Speaker 1: So then, over time, the male's body fuses with the 261 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: female to the point that their skin actually joins together, 262 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: and so do their blood vessels. It's the weirdest thing. 263 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 1: And then at this point the male is pretty much 264 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: set like he's a total deadweight. He doesn't need to see, 265 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: or swim or even eat like a normal fish anymore. 266 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: All his nutrients come directly from his mate's blood. And 267 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 1: so pretty soon all the organs the male doesn't really 268 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: use anymore, they just start to wither away. Now we're 269 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:44,959 Speaker 1: not talking about like all these internal organs. We're talking 270 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:49,080 Speaker 1: about eyes, fins of course, the internal organs everything. And 271 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: so you've basically got this little lump that just feeds 272 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 1: off the female in exchange for providing sperm whenever she's 273 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: ready to spawn. And it does remind me there's there's 274 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 1: one friend from college that I think fits this description, 275 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: might be Yes, Yes, that is really so creepy, and 276 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,679 Speaker 1: and I'm guessing stratias are pretty much monogamous, right, Like, 277 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:11,679 Speaker 1: like this fusing mating process doesn't seem like it's reversible. 278 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:14,119 Speaker 1: I guess you could say that the males are monogamous, 279 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:16,439 Speaker 1: because yeah, there's no going back for them once all 280 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 1: of your organs and basic and your eyes are no 281 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 1: longer there. But anyway, it's probably because of how slim 282 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 1: their chance of finding a mate is to begin with, 283 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 1: So if they do manage to find somebody, they're literally 284 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: not going to ever let go. But the females are 285 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: a different case. I mean, they actually live up to 286 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: like thirty years or so, so once a male has 287 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 1: been completely absorbed and can no longer supply a steady 288 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: stream of sperm, the females might collect several more over 289 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: the course of their lifetime. I mean, the more we 290 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: talk about this, the more it just sounds like straight 291 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: out of a horror movie or something. Actually, I came 292 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 1: across this great quote about how unbelievable this all sounds. 293 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: And this was from a naturalist named Willie Beebe, and 294 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: he wrote this back in nineteen thirty eight, And this 295 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: was after the truth about this bizarre maiding habit finally 296 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 1: had been brought to light. And here's what he had 297 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: to say about it. To be driven by impelling odor 298 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: headlong upon a mate so gigantic in such immense and 299 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,720 Speaker 1: forbidding darkness, and willfully eat a hole in her soft side, 300 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 1: to feel the gradually increasing transfusion of her blood through 301 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 1: one's veins, To lose everything that marked one as other 302 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 1: than a worm, to become a brainless, senseless thing that 303 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 1: was a fish. This is sheer fiction, beyond all belief 304 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:31,240 Speaker 1: unless we have seen proof of it. Well, it's a 305 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 1: very romantic process. But what do you say we switch 306 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 1: gears and cover some of the sweeter, more thoughtful ways 307 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: the animals used to find meat. That sounds like a 308 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 1: nice change of pace. Mego. But first, let's take a 309 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: quick break. You're listening to Part Time Genius and we're 310 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 1: talking about the softer side of animal courtships. Okay, well, 311 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: so earlier you told us about the nuptial spines, and 312 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 1: now I think it's my turn to tell you about 313 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: something called nuptial gifts. You know, the word nuptial is 314 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: coming up a lot more than I would have expected. 315 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 1: But all right, what kind of wedding gifts are we 316 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: talking about? Here, so it varies from species to species 317 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 1: because all animals have, you know, different sort of ideas 318 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 1: of gift giving, but insects in particular are big un 319 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: nuptial gifts. So male hang flies, for instance, attract their 320 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: mates by hanging from the underside of a leaf while 321 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 1: dangling some captured prey from their back legs, and the 322 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 1: interested females the land on the underside of the leaf 323 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 1: and hang the same way the men do, and then 324 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: they lower their wings to signal for the mail to 325 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: present the gift. And once the male holds the captured 326 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: insect up to her, the female inspects his size and 327 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: if she thinks the gift is large enough, she'll stick 328 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 1: around after dinner to mate. But if the gift isn't 329 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 1: up to snuff, then she'll just drop off the leaf 330 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 1: and head to the next one. I mean, I'm curious that, 331 00:16:56,920 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: like our nuptial gifts always some form of like captured 332 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: prey or our animals interested in other kinds of presence 333 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: or what what are they looking for? Ye and food 334 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 1: is probably one of the most common nuptial gifts in 335 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: the animal kingdom. Apart from insects, plenty of birds also 336 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: offer food as a part of courtship, and and this 337 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:13,879 Speaker 1: mainly is a way for the male to show that 338 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 1: he's physically fit and that he's off for the challenge 339 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 1: of providing nutrition for their offspring, you know, if the 340 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:21,919 Speaker 1: female cheese is to mate with him. But sometimes the 341 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:25,479 Speaker 1: presentation is lacking, like, uh, you know that there's this 342 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: bird called the great gray shrike and it lives on 343 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 1: a lot of different northern regions, And as nat Geo 344 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: puts it, male shrikes impale their prey on thorns, creating 345 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:39,199 Speaker 1: a mouse kebab of sorts. Females survey the options and 346 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,480 Speaker 1: go for the mail with the media skewer. I mean, 347 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:44,639 Speaker 1: I guess they get some points for creativity if you 348 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: want to look at it that way. Yeah, and people 349 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:50,359 Speaker 1: obviously love kebab, so why should you know? I do 350 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: want to get back to the insect world for a minute, 351 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:55,360 Speaker 1: because bugs can be just as resourceful as birds when 352 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: presenting their nuptial gifts. Like I was reading about how 353 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 1: male fireflies don't just rabbed the nearest prey and handed 354 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,200 Speaker 1: over to the mats. Instead, they actually make their own 355 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,639 Speaker 1: little nutrient rich bundles and they use a bunch of 356 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: specialized glands designed specifically for giftmaking. That's wild. And did 357 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:14,119 Speaker 1: you get a sense of what these bundles are made of? 358 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:16,640 Speaker 1: I mean, I assume it's gross, whatever the answer is, Yeah, 359 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,639 Speaker 1: it definitely is. But you know, researchers have actually dissected 360 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: these nuptial gifts and they've run all sorts of genetic 361 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,160 Speaker 1: tests on them, and it turns out the gooey little 362 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 1: bundles are packed with more than two hundred different proteins, 363 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: which is kind of wild when you remember that, like 364 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: it all came from a male firefly. But what's even 365 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:37,399 Speaker 1: more impressive are some of the highly specific jobs that 366 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: these proteins do. So for instance, some of the compounds 367 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: would like prompt the female to produce more eggs. Some 368 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:45,760 Speaker 1: of them increase the efficacy of the male sperm. There's 369 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:49,160 Speaker 1: even this one toxic chemical in there that apparently makes 370 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:52,399 Speaker 1: firefly eggs taste terrible. I haven't checked on this to 371 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:56,120 Speaker 1: composer myself, but you know, it's obviously helpful for protecting 372 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: eggs from predators and it is all super effective. In fact, 373 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:02,679 Speaker 1: the search team that broke down the ingredient list also 374 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 1: found that female fireflies who consume nuptial gifts ultimately produce 375 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: more eggs throughout their lifetime, and they even live longer too. 376 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 1: And of course this works out well for the males 377 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:14,120 Speaker 1: as well, you know, because the ones who produce larger 378 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: gifts tend to have more offspring. I mean, I kind 379 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: of wish there was an animal that gave gifts kind 380 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: of like we do, you know, like something that's just 381 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:23,680 Speaker 1: a show of affection and not really useful on its own. 382 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: So I'm curious or all of these animals giving like 383 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 1: useful types of gifts, or did you come across any 384 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 1: of that were just like for fun or is a 385 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:33,879 Speaker 1: sign of affection. So it's funny you should say that, 386 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:35,879 Speaker 1: because I was actually looking for that as well, and 387 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:39,400 Speaker 1: I found The male humpback dolphin does this. So once 388 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: they find a female they like, the male will dive 389 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 1: deep to the bottom of the ocean and search for 390 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,359 Speaker 1: the biggest marine sponge he could find, and then he 391 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 1: balances that sponge on his rostrum, which is the word 392 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 1: for that beak like snout dolphins have, and he'll bring 393 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 1: it up the surfaces and finally toss it over to 394 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,159 Speaker 1: the girl. He has his eye on rostrum I never 395 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 1: knew what that word was. And so is this something 396 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:00,160 Speaker 1: that happens often? Like, it's not just a one off 397 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,639 Speaker 1: kind of thing. So that's what I was wondering too. 398 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:05,639 Speaker 1: And and there's actually a study last year from researchers 399 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: at the University of Western Australian Perth, and they observed 400 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: male humpbacked dolphins presenting sponges seventeen different times along a 401 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:16,879 Speaker 1: thousand miles stretch of Australian coastline. And those instances were 402 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:20,359 Speaker 1: spread across five separate dolphin pods. So it's not like 403 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:22,679 Speaker 1: there was just this one sponge happy family, you know. 404 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:26,399 Speaker 1: It seems to be a species wide practice. I'm curious. So, like, 405 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,679 Speaker 1: what makes you think that these sponges are impractical gifts? 406 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 1: I mean, it feels like maybe they could be using 407 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 1: them as a tool for something, like I know dolphins 408 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 1: do that with with certain things. Yeah, that's true. So 409 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 1: lots of dolphins use marine sponges when they're forging for food, 410 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 1: like um bottlenose dolphins, they'll stick the sponges on the 411 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:44,919 Speaker 1: tip of their rostrum so that they can scrounge for 412 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: food without cutting up their noses or you know, on 413 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 1: all these like sharp rocks or shells that are around. 414 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 1: It's pretty clever, but that's not what's going on with 415 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 1: the humpbacked dolphins. And Australian research team martyred the females 416 00:20:56,520 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: who receives sponges and according to them, the females definitely 417 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 1: didn't you the gifts for forging. Instead, the researchers think 418 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:04,639 Speaker 1: the whole thing might be a test of the male's 419 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 1: character or kind of a demonstration of his quality as 420 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: a mate. So this is how Atlas Obscure explains the 421 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:14,360 Speaker 1: theory quote Choosing the right sponge and successfully extricating it 422 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: from whatever hard thing it was attached to could be 423 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: a sign of dexterity and strength. On top of that, 424 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 1: finding and presenting the sponge may also represent a symbol 425 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: of cognitive ability, the researchers report, because not just any 426 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 1: numb skull can find a sponge that good. What's more, 427 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:32,840 Speaker 1: it is a risky operation that exposes the mail to 428 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:36,120 Speaker 1: the risk of shark attacks. He's not just strong, capable 429 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 1: and smart, ladies, he's brave too. That's pretty adorable, and 430 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: you're right, it's pretty human like as well when you 431 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 1: think about it. But you know, there's more than one 432 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:48,160 Speaker 1: way for animals to show their physical fitness. You can, 433 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: you know, like you were talking about, could present a 434 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 1: big piece of food or some handsome sponge as as 435 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:55,960 Speaker 1: one option, but plenty of other animals prefer to show 436 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 1: off their fancy footwork instead. Now birds are, of course 437 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 1: as sectially famous for their dance moves, and we probably 438 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,199 Speaker 1: all remember that section on birds of Paradise from the 439 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 1: Planet Earth series where they use these elaborate displays of 440 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:11,879 Speaker 1: plumage and intricate dance steps to attract to may. But 441 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: one performer who often gets lost in the shuffle is 442 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,399 Speaker 1: the humble fiddler crab. So when it's time to make, 443 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 1: male fiddlers gather in large groups and they just frantically 444 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:25,159 Speaker 1: wave their one oversized claws this courtship display, and because 445 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: that claw is so massive, this can be a really 446 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: exhausting exercise for these little guys, and particularly those who 447 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 1: aren't in the best shape, because studies have shown that 448 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:37,159 Speaker 1: the more vigorously a crab waves his claw, the higher 449 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: his fitness level. So from a female's perspective, the more 450 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 1: enthusiastic waivers are the crabs worth paying attention to, But 451 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 1: doesn't that sound pathetically like they're just sitting there waving 452 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: their hands saying pick me. It feels rough. You know 453 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: what exactly is the criteria? Like? Is it just whoever 454 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:57,119 Speaker 1: waves the fastest? Well sort of. So research on this 455 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,680 Speaker 1: has shown that the female fiddler crabs are sensitive tempo 456 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: changes in the male's performance, but they don't necessarily go 457 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 1: for the faster waiver. Instead, researchers have found that the 458 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: females prefer the crabs that ramp up their waving over 459 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:14,040 Speaker 1: time to those who slow down or maintain a steady speed. 460 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:17,640 Speaker 1: So even if one crab is waving faster than the others, 461 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 1: if that speed remains constant, the female will likely lose 462 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,960 Speaker 1: interest in favor of the guy who is gradually picking 463 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:27,199 Speaker 1: up speed. And this is because, as one researcher put it, 464 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 1: female is not only taken to account the current level 465 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:33,160 Speaker 1: of courtship signal production, but also any changes in rate, 466 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:37,400 Speaker 1: which might provide information about a male's quality. So, for example, 467 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,640 Speaker 1: a decreasing rate might indicate that the male, despite appearing 468 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:44,919 Speaker 1: to be vigorous and effective as a signaler, has exhausted 469 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 1: his energy reserves. So even though keeping a steady speed 470 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:51,360 Speaker 1: likely indicates that a crab is in good shape. Female 471 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:54,440 Speaker 1: fiddlers only want the best, you know, We've always heard 472 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:57,199 Speaker 1: that before. Female fiddlers only want the best, and in 473 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: this case that means a crab with stamina, so the 474 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 1: one that can wave the longest and actually get faster 475 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: as time goes on. So as much as I like 476 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 1: hearing about philocrats, it did sound like you wanted to 477 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 1: talk about birds too. Yeah. Birds definitely have some of 478 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:14,199 Speaker 1: the most complicated and and maybe artful courtship rituals in 479 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:16,479 Speaker 1: the animal kingdom, and well, I don't think we can 480 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,680 Speaker 1: do their dances justice on a podcast. The bower bird 481 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,879 Speaker 1: practices a completely different art form and it's one that 482 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 1: we definitely need to talk about. But before we do, 483 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: let's take one more quick break art mengo. So it's 484 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: finally time to talk about bower birds. Now. There are 485 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 1: twenty four species of these guys spread throughout Australia and 486 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:50,399 Speaker 1: New Guinea, and they all take part in one of 487 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 1: the world's most bizarre and complex courtship rituals. Now. Unlike 488 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 1: Show Your Birds, male bower birds don't typically have dramatic 489 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 1: plumes or bright colored others to help catch the eye 490 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: of a mate, so instead they gather up twigs and 491 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 1: then they methodically and artfully construct these elaborate structures called bowers, 492 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:11,880 Speaker 1: which of course is where the birds get their name. 493 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:14,400 Speaker 1: And the thing to remember here is that these bowers 494 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 1: are not nest. Instead, they're intended solely as a place 495 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 1: for the males to just show off. Yeah, so I've 496 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,119 Speaker 1: read up about bower birds in the past, and I 497 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:28,440 Speaker 1: remember that these structures are kind of like art galleries, 498 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 1: like well, one part of the bower serves as a 499 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: stage for the male to stry to stuff on, and 500 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 1: the rest of the space is dedicated to this carefully 501 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:38,440 Speaker 1: curated display of hundreds or sometimes I want to say, 502 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 1: even thousands of objects, and it's wild how sprawling these 503 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,360 Speaker 1: displays can be. But I did read that the average 504 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:48,200 Speaker 1: male lives for about thirty years, so they actually start 505 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:51,239 Speaker 1: collecting objects for their bowers at around age five, So 506 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 1: the collectors with the biggest displays have probably been at 507 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 1: this for a while now. But the cool thing though, 508 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 1: is that there's a lot of variants across the species 509 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,119 Speaker 1: when it comes to the design of these bowers and 510 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: the objects displayed within them. So, for instance, the males 511 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,360 Speaker 1: of some species build these cave like bowers, Like they're 512 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 1: kind of these rounded dens with an overhanging roof and 513 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:14,359 Speaker 1: the front is wide open though, and then there's just 514 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 1: a big space. They're called a court where the males 515 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 1: display their treasures. But then they're the species that take 516 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 1: a slightly different approach, like their bowers are a little 517 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:27,359 Speaker 1: simpler to construct. There just two rows of vertical sticks 518 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: leaned together to form this little bird tunnel, or sometimes 519 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:33,879 Speaker 1: the tunnel elects will be made of thatched twigs. And 520 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:37,119 Speaker 1: in this arrangement, the female enters through one end of 521 00:26:37,119 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 1: the tunnel and then proceeds down a half meter stretch 522 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: called the avenue, towards the court of objects on the 523 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 1: other side. I love the idea of a bird avenue 524 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:49,680 Speaker 1: is so great. I do love how complicated all of 525 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 1: this is. You know, like there's so much terminology. They're 526 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:55,120 Speaker 1: different cards of architecture, and you know, it does feel 527 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 1: like these guys are just compensating for their lack of 528 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:01,160 Speaker 1: fancy plumage. Either way, though, you know, I can't tell 529 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 1: whether these birds are hoarders or is there artists. I'd 530 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: like to think that there are, I mean, bower birds 531 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:10,399 Speaker 1: definitely have an eye for aesthetics. In fact, the birds 532 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:13,680 Speaker 1: actually keep all their objects arranged by color, and this 533 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:16,439 Speaker 1: is just so strange. But there might be rows of 534 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,199 Speaker 1: red things like berries and rocks, or even bits of 535 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:22,199 Speaker 1: plastic like whatever they find. Or maybe you find a 536 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:24,880 Speaker 1: bird with more subdued taste, so he decorates his cord 537 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:28,200 Speaker 1: and more of a gray motif, using bones and shells 538 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 1: and stones. But that's not even all, because male bower 539 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 1: birds also incorporate visual allusions into their bowers. Like these 540 00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 1: birds their magicians, mang go, So I do like the 541 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:40,439 Speaker 1: sound of this. What what type of visual tricks are 542 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 1: we talking about? The illusions may go not tricks. Don't. 543 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:46,440 Speaker 1: Don't insult the bower birds. It's really impressive what they do. 544 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: But what's really going on here is that the males 545 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 1: are using forced perspective to make themselves appear bigger and 546 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 1: therefore more appealing to these potential mates. So here's how 547 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: it works. When a male arranges his court, he doesn't 548 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: pay attention just to the color of the objects, but 549 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:05,000 Speaker 1: also to their size as well. He places them so 550 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 1: the larger objects are farther away from the female's eye 551 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 1: and the smaller ones are closer to her, and the 552 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:12,399 Speaker 1: effect of this is that all the objects in the 553 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:15,480 Speaker 1: court appear to be the same size from the female's perspective, 554 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:17,399 Speaker 1: you know, when she's standing at the opposite end of 555 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: the avenue, for instance. So that's interesting because it's pretty 556 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: much the opposite of how we usually see force perspective use. Like, 557 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:28,480 Speaker 1: think about the castle at Disneyland. It looks way taller 558 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:30,840 Speaker 1: than it actually is because the windows near the top 559 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:33,119 Speaker 1: are smaller than the ones closer to the bottom, and 560 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:36,240 Speaker 1: that makes the top windows seem further way. Yeah, that's 561 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:38,000 Speaker 1: exactly right. I guess I could have saved sometime and 562 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 1: just said it's like Disneyland, but you know, the opposite. 563 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: But the court appears smaller, and the male bower bird 564 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 1: usually stands to the side of it, and that way 565 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: he can pop his head in and out of the 566 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 1: female's view to kind of take advantage of that force 567 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: perspective and make himself seem much larger than he actually is. 568 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 1: And he might also hold one of the brighter objects 569 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 1: in his beak and sort of way it at her 570 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:02,240 Speaker 1: while he does all this, Because you know, it's the 571 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 1: small touches that mean the most, you know, but I'm 572 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 1: curious about, like, does this work? You know, do the 573 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: females really go for all this smoking mirrors? I mean 574 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 1: not always. A female will just as easily fly away 575 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: if she thinks the males display lacks that polish, or 576 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:21,080 Speaker 1: maybe she's just more into berries than she is the 577 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:24,360 Speaker 1: snail shells or whatever it is. But if she does 578 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: like what she sees, then she'll stick around for a 579 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:28,720 Speaker 1: few minutes, and that's a sign to the male that 580 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,160 Speaker 1: she's open to mating with him. And you know, what's 581 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 1: interesting is how much the strength of the visual illusion 582 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: actually factors into the female's decision, because studies have shown 583 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 1: that the birds that employ the most effective use of 584 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:45,080 Speaker 1: force perspective, we're the ones most likely to be mated with. Now, 585 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 1: as for why, that is something that, apart from making 586 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: the male look bigger and stronger, the illusion is also 587 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 1: a show of the male's intelligence and by extension, his 588 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 1: ability to source food for his mate and for offspring. 589 00:29:57,360 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 1: And on some level the females could be aware of 590 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 1: at and so they connect great art with being a 591 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: great provider. I mean, it's weird to think that bower 592 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 1: birds might have invented force perspective like millions of years 593 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 1: before humans started using it, right, I mean, so bird 594 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: art may have an even longer history than human art. 595 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: That is crazy. So, you know, I do feel like 596 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 1: we talk about bower birds as these great architects in 597 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 1: the animal kingdom, but you don't often hear about puffer fish, 598 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:26,200 Speaker 1: who are basically the bower birds at the sea. And 599 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 1: that's because they spend a full week or longer crafting 600 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:33,000 Speaker 1: these ornate circular patterns on the sea floor. And of 601 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:35,000 Speaker 1: course they do this in hopes of attracting a mate. 602 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:38,160 Speaker 1: But once their circle is finished, female puffers will stop 603 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 1: by to check it out, and if they're fans of 604 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:42,960 Speaker 1: the males work, then she'll lay her eggs in the 605 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 1: center for him to furtile us. And so what exactly 606 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:49,120 Speaker 1: are the females looking for in these underwater crop circles 607 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 1: or whatever they are, so, to be honest, no one 608 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:53,760 Speaker 1: really knows. Like the males carve out the ridges and 609 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,520 Speaker 1: valleys of the pattern by carefully flapping their fins as 610 00:30:56,520 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 1: they swim in circles along the sea floor, and the 611 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: finished formations are typically about seven feet in diameter. So 612 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 1: it's a lot of work for these tiny fish. I mean, 613 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 1: the fish are only like five inches long, and it's 614 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 1: possible the females are attracted by the show of effort, 615 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 1: but it could also be that they simply like the 616 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:15,920 Speaker 1: aesthetics or the lines or the structures, or maybe they're 617 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 1: attracted to the coloring of the sediment. You know that 618 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:21,200 Speaker 1: there's no way of really telling yet, but it's kind 619 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:24,520 Speaker 1: of appropriate because you know, the patterns themselves were just 620 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 1: as mysterious right up until a few years ago. So 621 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:30,240 Speaker 1: back in divers off the coast of Japan first started 622 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 1: reporting these bizarre geometric formations they were finding, but no 623 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 1: one knew who was making them until the researchers finally 624 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 1: saw a perfect fish in the act. And this was 625 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,920 Speaker 1: only in two teen. I mean, I love that the 626 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: world is still full of these surprises, kind of like this, 627 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:46,640 Speaker 1: even after such a long time spent exploring it. And 628 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: I'm gonna say, I looked up these puffer fish formations 629 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 1: while you were talking about this, and it really is 630 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:53,920 Speaker 1: amazing what I'm seeing here. I mean, these things are 631 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 1: so precise and beautiful, like they're like underwater sand men 632 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:00,719 Speaker 1: Dallas almost Yeah, I mean, listeners definitely look them off. 633 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:02,760 Speaker 1: It's it's definitely worth it, all right. Well, I have 634 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: to admit I was a little skeptical about doing a 635 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 1: show on animal mating habits, just because it could so 636 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 1: easily turn inappropriate or maybe juvenile even or maybe in 637 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 1: wind up is like this big joke. But it's actually 638 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 1: pretty fascinating thinking about all of these animals and seeing 639 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:20,400 Speaker 1: how they've each learned to do what they do, and 640 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:22,120 Speaker 1: they try out to be a lot more variance and 641 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:25,080 Speaker 1: the animal courtships than I had thought at first. Yeah. 642 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 1: So I was reading this interview in the Smithsonian with 643 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:29,880 Speaker 1: this great cats curator at the National Zoo, and his 644 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 1: name is Craig Saffo, and he had this great line 645 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:35,800 Speaker 1: and it kind of perfectly encapsulists what you're talking about. 646 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:38,680 Speaker 1: So this is what he said, quote. I think mating 647 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 1: behaviors of animals in general, humans included, are really odd 648 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:45,120 Speaker 1: and really cool when you get down to it. While 649 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:47,880 Speaker 1: it is very funny, it's also just a really interesting 650 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:50,520 Speaker 1: topic to talk about and one that people often shy 651 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:54,040 Speaker 1: away from because it's taboo, but it's pretty vital. It's 652 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:56,840 Speaker 1: the very crux of existence. Well, in the spirit of 653 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:58,440 Speaker 1: that thought, what do you say we keep things going 654 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:00,320 Speaker 1: in the fact off and rat off a few more 655 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: of our favorite animal courtships. So here's a funny one. 656 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:15,200 Speaker 1: According to pop Sigh, female cappuccine monkeys show that they're 657 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:18,520 Speaker 1: ready to mate by pouting their faces making a loud 658 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:20,960 Speaker 1: whining sound. I mean, this is what pop size says, 659 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 1: or touching males and running away. But what happens when 660 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 1: a male is too daft to catch on. That's when 661 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,600 Speaker 1: female cappuccine monkeys start throwing stones at their objects of design. 662 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:34,560 Speaker 1: Often they're just trying to throw close to them to 663 00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:37,320 Speaker 1: get their attention, but the males do get pelted pretty often. 664 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:41,800 Speaker 1: It's kind of like the third grade boy approach. A kidna, 665 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 1: which are sometimes known as spiny ant eaters. They're monitoring, 666 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:48,480 Speaker 1: so like platypus, they're these strange mash up critters that 667 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:52,240 Speaker 1: for some reason also lay eggs. And anyway, we don't 668 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,280 Speaker 1: know much about the kidnas mating process, but we know 669 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:57,840 Speaker 1: that the male has a four headed penis, and that 670 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 1: kidnays produce an egg that gets old and carried around 671 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 1: in a pouch. But the interesting thing about them is 672 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:07,520 Speaker 1: their courtship behavior. For some reason, and scientists don't know 673 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:10,120 Speaker 1: why this is exactly. Males will line up in a 674 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:13,520 Speaker 1: single file line behind a female and then just waddle 675 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,239 Speaker 1: around behind her, and the train can be up to 676 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:19,239 Speaker 1: ten a kidna along with the youngest a kidnah in 677 00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:23,240 Speaker 1: the back, and sometimes the kidnas switch lines, but mostly 678 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 1: they just play follow the leader until the strongest males 679 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:28,799 Speaker 1: are still walking the others have given up, and then 680 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:32,400 Speaker 1: the female chooses her mate. That's funny. So you know, 681 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:34,640 Speaker 1: male mice who want to impress their mates sing these 682 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:38,280 Speaker 1: ultrasonic love songs, but apparently what tune they sing matters, 683 00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 1: so the lady mice are super picky and they don't 684 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:43,239 Speaker 1: want songs that are similar to the ones that are 685 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:46,799 Speaker 1: sung by relatives. So it turns out that flamingos are 686 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:50,239 Speaker 1: partial to make up. Apparently, the birds secrete pigments from 687 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,520 Speaker 1: glands near their tail, and during mating season they'll dab 688 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:56,320 Speaker 1: that color onto their cheekbones and then spread it all 689 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:59,440 Speaker 1: over their neck and feathers. The more they do this, 690 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:02,400 Speaker 1: the anker they've become, and the birds that are the 691 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:04,880 Speaker 1: most colorful tend to have the best luck with finding 692 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 1: a mate. So here's what I love. You know, pandas 693 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,319 Speaker 1: are obviously not very good at mating, and they have 694 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:13,880 Speaker 1: super low libidos. I think we've all heard about panda 695 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:17,440 Speaker 1: porn or these panda adult films that scientists use. You know, 696 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:20,560 Speaker 1: when they hear and watch other panda's mating, they get excited, 697 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:24,520 Speaker 1: but that alone doesn't up their reproduction rate. So researchers 698 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:27,360 Speaker 1: at cheng Do Panda Breeding and Research Center have actually 699 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:30,319 Speaker 1: taught them to do some special exercises to strengthen the 700 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:34,239 Speaker 1: male's hind legs and this increases their stamina. And this 701 00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:37,480 Speaker 1: combination has really worked. So according to the Smithsonian article, 702 00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:40,839 Speaker 1: more than sixty of the pandas are now capable of 703 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:43,080 Speaker 1: having sex on their own, which is up from just 704 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:47,319 Speaker 1: twenty twenty years ago. You know, there were so many 705 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:49,319 Speaker 1: facts to choose from for this, and I know we'll 706 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:51,439 Speaker 1: have to leave some behind. You know. I found plenty 707 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:54,600 Speaker 1: of great facts about birds literally walking on water to 708 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:57,879 Speaker 1: impress their mate, or how male spiders will tap out 709 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 1: vibrations on webs to signal the fee males. I think 710 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:03,080 Speaker 1: we've talked about that a little bit before, but I 711 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:05,040 Speaker 1: think this is the fact I want to end on. 712 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:09,399 Speaker 1: Scientists recently discovered evidence that dinosaurs used to shake their 713 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:12,560 Speaker 1: rumps to attract mates. Now, this is according to a 714 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:16,720 Speaker 1: study in Scientific Reports, but researchers in western Colorado found 715 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:21,799 Speaker 1: fifty fossilized scrape marks left in one million year old sandstone. 716 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: They found patterns that are similar to both puffins and 717 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:30,399 Speaker 1: ostrich mating dances. I love the idea of these fossilized footprints, 718 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:33,359 Speaker 1: like it's evidence of dinosaurs doing the electric slide together. 719 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,080 Speaker 1: I think the fact that you brought dinosaurs into this 720 00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:40,839 Speaker 1: episode really makes you the winners. Always got to deserve 721 00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:43,839 Speaker 1: the trophies clows out with dinosaurs, So thanks so much. 722 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:46,440 Speaker 1: And of course I know, as I mentioned before, there 723 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:48,799 Speaker 1: are so many mating habits that we didn't get to, 724 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:51,319 Speaker 1: so many fascinating ones out there. We'd love to hear 725 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:54,000 Speaker 1: those from you. Always love to hear your great facts. 726 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:56,239 Speaker 1: You can email those two Part Time Genius at how 727 00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:58,920 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot com or hit us up on Facebook 728 00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:06,480 Speaker 1: or Twitter. But as always, thanks so much for listening, Y, 729 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:17,680 Speaker 1: thanks again for listening. Part Time Genius is a production 730 00:37:17,719 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 1: of How Stuff Works and wouldn't be possible without several 731 00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:22,719 Speaker 1: brilliant people who do the important things. We couldn't even 732 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:26,040 Speaker 1: begin to understand. Christa McNeil does the editing thing. Noel 733 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:28,120 Speaker 1: Brown made the theme song and does the MIXI MIXI 734 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:31,680 Speaker 1: sound thing. Garry Rowland does the exact producer thing. Gay 735 00:37:31,719 --> 00:37:34,320 Speaker 1: Bluesier is our lead researcher, with support from the research 736 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:37,600 Speaker 1: Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams and Eve. 737 00:37:37,719 --> 00:37:40,120 Speaker 1: Jeff Cook gets the show to your ears. Good job, Eves. 738 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 1: If you like what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, 739 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:44,120 Speaker 1: And if you really really like what you've heard, maybe 740 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:46,200 Speaker 1: you could leave a good review for us. Do we do? 741 00:37:46,280 --> 00:38:00,279 Speaker 1: We forget Jason? Jason who