Latest Mating Stories

In most species, females prefer the most intense courtship display males can muster, but a new study finds that female cowbirds actually prefer less intense displays. The full results are published May 2 in the open access journal PLoS ONE. The researchers, led by Adrian O'Loghlen of University of California Santa Barbara, write that males direct more intense wing-spreading displays toward other males as aggressive communicative signals. It appears, however, that while these signals may...

Male praying mantises are more likely to engage in risky mating behavior if they have not had recent access to females, as reported Apr. 25 in the open access journal PLoS ONE. Female praying mantises are known for their cannibalistic behavior toward their mates, and males take a large risk when they attempt to reproduce. In the current work, led by William Brown of State University of New York at Fredonia, the researchers found that males modulate this risk by altering their approach rate...

Discerning males remain faithful...if you are a spider. Sex for male orb web spiders (Argiope bruennichi) is a two shot affair since the act of mating destroys their genitalia. If they survive being eaten during their first encounter with a female, they have two choices – to mate again with the same female (monogynous) or try to find a new partner (bigynous). New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Frontiers in Zoology shows that choice of mating behavior for A....

Males consistently change their mating behavior depending on whether they have spent time with other males before mating, according to new findings by scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA). Publishing today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the researchers studied how male Drosophila melanogaster - or fruit flies - change their mating behavior in response to their social environment. Previously, the UEA team had found that in a single mating, males exposed...

Online Event: Rosalind Sedacca, CCT is one of seven author/experts providing advice for women re-entering the dating world at the upcoming Better Than Ever at Dating and Relationship Online Weekend Retreat. Co-author of 99 Things Women Wish They Knew Before Dating After 40, 50 & Yes, 60!, Sedacca and her therapist sister Amy Sherman, LMHC, are also creators of the DatingRescue 10-week eCourses for women of all ages and the Create Your Ideal Relationship Kit targeting women in...

For those with few social advantages, college is a prime pathway to financial stability, but it also unexpectedly lowers their odds of ever marrying, according to a study by Cornell University sociologist Kelly Musick being published in the February issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family (available online: http://bit.ly/yt9uwJ). The findings suggest that social and cultural factors, not just income, are central to marriage decisions. Men and women from the least advantaged backgrounds...

Dominant males invest in friendly relationships with females Mate competition by males over females is common in many animal species. During mating season male testosterone levels rise, resulting in an increase in aggressive behavior and masculine features. Male bonobos, however, invest much more into friendly relationships with females. Elevated testosterone and aggression levels would collide with this increased tendency towards forming pair-relationships. Bonobos are among the...

[ Watch the Video ] Just published this month, new research shows how spiders eavesdrop on other males and copy their courtship signals as a likely means of stealing their mate. Researchers have made a new discovery into the complex world of spiders that reflects what some might perceive as similar behavior in human society. As male wolf spiders go searching for a mate, it appears they eavesdrop, match and even try to outdo the mating dances of their successful rivals, a behavior seen...

Believed critical for determining which individuals can -- or cannot -- successfully reproduce with each other, genitalia not only figure prominently in the origin of new species, but are also typically the first type of trait to change as new species form. Today, new international research led by Indiana University shows that as populations and species diversify, the exact shape and fit of genitalia steals the show over size. In data gathered from populations isolated for less than 50...

Is there an answer to the question, “What makes a happy marriage”? The answer may be found in how generous spouses are to each other. Do you make your spouse a cup of coffee, order flowers or provide a backrub? Then you may find yourself with a long-lasting and stable relationship. A new study by the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia revealed couples who reported a high amount of generosity in their relationship were five times more likely to say their marriage...