14 DAY TRIAL // Having carried out a series of experiments on bugs, researchers at the University of East Anglia in the UK claim to have finally figured out why men still exist and how having them around benefits the species.
In a report published in yesterday's issue of the journal Nature, the scientists argue that having males compete for the right to father a new generation helps their species stay healthy and, consequently, avoid extinction.
There would be perks to having no men around
Writing in the journal Nature, the University of East Anglia specialists argue that, from a biological standpoint, it makes sense to have species comprise only female specimens able to reproduce on their own.
This is because all-female populations would undoubtedly reproduce more efficiently in that they would deliver more offspring. Throw males in the mix, and about half of a specie's population no longer produces offspring per se but instead helps the other half reproduce.
“A system where all individuals produce offspring without sex - as in all-female asexual populations - would be a far more effective route to reproduce greater numbers of offspring,” says researcher Matt Gage.
Studying bugs to understand the need for males
As part of their investigation into why nature allows males to exist, the scientists closely monitored several distinct flour beetle populations over about 10 years.
Of these populations, some comprised way more males than females and others were made up of breeding pairs. At the end of the study period, it was the populations with an increased number of males that were better off.
Specifically, they were healthier and more resistant to extinction. The populations that included very few males, on the other hand, were in fairly rugged shape.
“All the populations derived from monogamous histories became extinct after just eight generations,” details University of East Anglia specialist Matt Gage.
So what does the outcome of these experiments show?
Given what happened to the flour beetle populations studied as part of this research project, researcher Matt Cage and colleagues theorize that males are needed to help their species stay healthy and keep it from going extinct.
The scientists explain that, through a process known as sexual selection that sees them compete for female attention and the right to mate, males improve the gene pool. In turn, this makes for a healthier and more resilient population.
As explained in the Nature report detailing this study, the reproductive selection that can only happen in the presence of males filters out genetic mutations and allows populations to flourish.
“Sexual selection is important for population health and persistence, because it helps to purge negative and maintain positive genetic variation in a population,” specialist Matt Cage sums up his and his colleagues findings.