The Biology of Love*
*Please note. This discussion in no way attempts to discuss love in a religious context. Rather it is merely an entertaining way to learn about the sometimes comical world of biological reproduction.
By Miss Bakermissbakersbiologyclass.com
If not for sex[ual reproduction], much of what is flamboyant and beautiful in nature would not exist. –Olivia Judson, Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation
Why Sex?
A sexual organism has only 50% of the fitness of an asexual organism.
You Have to Find and Woo a Mate
You Have to Fight to Win Their Love
You'll Be More Conspicuous to Predators
Sex Increases Risk of Diseases
That Lead to SicknessInfertility
Death
So, Why Sex?
The Red QueenRed Queen Hypothesis
What??
• A speices must continually adapt its genes just to maintain an advantage over its predators/parasites!
Lucky in Love
Sex is like the best strategy for winning the lottery
Greater SuccessIncreasing Variety =
The DifferenceBetweenMalesandFemales
Between 1725-1765,the Wife of Feodor Vassiyev had
69 ChildrenIn Her 27 PregnanciesShe Gave Birth to16 Pairs of Twins7 Sets of Triplets4 Sets of Quadruplets
1,042Children
Love is Like a Game of ChessIt's All About Strategy
Base Your Decisions on theEnvironment in Which You Live
Make the Choice That Will Lead to the Greatest
Number of Successful Offspring!
Monogamy...My Heart Beats Only For You
Polygamy...I Love You and You and You and You and
Monogamy PolygamyLess disease risk More diversity in offspringCan mate guard Produce more offspringLower infanticide Less commitmentForm social bondsLess male competition
HowManyOffspringShouldYouHave?
If You Decide to Have Few...
YouMust
ProvideParental Care
If You Decide to Have Many...
You Won't Have to Provide Parental Care
That You'll Die Soon Afterwards
But,You'll
ProbablyBe So
Exhausted
Are You a Desperate Male?
CommitSexualSuicide
It's Betterto Have
LovedandLost
Then toHave Never
Loved at All!
Or Allow Yourself to Be Exploited
And Persist as a TinyBlood-Sucking ParasiteAttached to the Female's Body
Whatif aMemberof theOppositeSexis NotAvailable?
Get a Sex Change!
But, What if You're Alone?
Shy?
Rejected?
Unable to find a mate?
All is Not Lost
Go Asexual
But, Remember You Lose the Benefits of Sex So Switch Back When Possible
Arguably the Most Exquisitely EvolvedMating Behaviors Belong to Class Aves
TheGreatest
HumanMating
BehaviorofAll
Time
And Now for the Finale
Drumroll Please
The End
Photo Credits
Slide # Photographer URL
3 Unknown http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/img/sperm_egg_1is.jpg
4 Michael Reeve http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Evolsex-dia1a.png
5 Arthur Morris http://www.birdsasart.com/Royal-terns-courtship-feeding-DeSoto-FL-_H2D8575.jpg
6 Unknown http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/3290720.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=C06051C8BA2A5A2C4196C3EDFEC0E7E6A55A1E4F32AD3138
7 Billy Campbell http://l.yimg.com/img.tv.yahoo.com/tv/us/img/site/81/22/0000038122_20070301141540.jpg
8 Lampron http://www.health2know.com/images/herpes.jpg
9 Unknown http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/img/sperm_egg_1is.jpg
10 Unknown http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/alicepic/disney-movie/alice-with-queen-of-hearts.jpg
11 John Tenniel http://www.proteusadvisors.com/uploaded_images/Red-Queen-733514.jpg
12 Unknown http://bp3.blogger.com/_92E8fZ0HCXg/Rx5CWQhSyxI/AAAAAAAABJQ/t-P_NSFEcyo/s1600-h/lottery+balls.jpg
13 Unknown http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/05/dpuzzle_640.gif
14 Steven Rhoads http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/society_culture/assets/sex_differences.jpg
15 Can you identify? Found on Creative Commons Flickr Search
16 Unknown http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Moulay_Ismail.jpg
17 PoppyW http://www.flickr.com/photos/poppyw/348928452/
18 Can you identify? Found on Creative Commons Flickr Search
19 WTL http://www.flickr.com/photos/wtlphotos/1045750850/
20 M. Boylen http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Callorhinus_ursinus_and_harem.jpg/300px-Callorhinus_ursinus_and_harem.jpg
Slide # Photographer URL
21 alb
21 lion
James Preston
Brian Scott
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamespreston/88920149/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianscott/283824665/
22 Can you identify? Found on Creative Commons Flickr Search
23 Martha de Jong-Lantink http://www.flickr.com/photos/marthaenpiet/2093911204/
24 Can you identify? Found on Creative Commons Flickr Search
25 Unknown http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/BPANews/Library/images/fish/Chinook_eggs.jpg
26 Anvi http://www.anvious.com/archive/photoblog/061026.jpg
27 Can you identify? Found on Creative Commons Flickr Search
28 TarynMarie http://www.flickr.com/photos/tarynmarie/233251372/
29 T.W. Pietsch http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/news/images/20050129-photocorynus_spiniceps-male_female.jpg
30 Kawa0310 http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_road_ahead/130768000/
31 tlindenbaum http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindenbaum/360684002/
32 ucumari http://www.flickr.com/photos/ucumari/580865728/
33 Jill Greenberg http://photomediamagazineonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/JG-monkeysuitff.jpg
34 Arnar Valdimarsson http://www.flickr.com/photos/arnar/95116503/
35 Mike Kemp http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/96/47/23494796.jpg
36 Unknown http://www.rivalryrecords.com/BAND_LOGOS/logo_GoItAlone_LP.jpg
37 Tim Knight http://homepage.mac.com/wildlifeweb/reptile/komodo_dragon/komodo_dragon_04tfk.jpg
38 Sailing Nomad http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanwhisner/363966960/
40 Unknown http://www.moviewallpapers.net/images/wallpapers/1977/saturday-night-fever/saturday-night-fever-1-1024.jpg
41 ucumari http://www.flickr.com/photos/ucumari/427035041/