Text | Science Wormhole
Animals reproduce through mating, but their pairing forms are diverse, which can be divided into the relatively rare monogamous system , and mixed system . The mixed system includes polygamy, polyandry, and polyandry .
As we all know, animals mate in order to reproduce, so the question arises: in a monogamous family, if one party dies, can they resist the temptation of mating?
Most animals are not monogamous
In human society, monogamy (monogamy) accounts for the majority, and there are also some polygamous countries or tribes. In the animal world, the opposite is true. Among their pairing patterns, monogamy is the minority.
Many animals are mixed. The fur seal family is a typical polygyny.
Fur seals are mammals that live in the ocean. They are called "fur seals" because they are shaped like dogs. They are spindle-shaped, 1.5-2.1 meters long, and have thick fur. They are also called "fur sea lions".
During the non-breeding period, fur seals have no fixed habitat; during the breeding season, competition among male fur seals begins. They will rush back to their birthplace, and those who arrive first will start to occupy the territory and divide the range.
Powerful male fur seals occupied the beach. About a week later, large groups of female fur seals flocked to the shore to mate freely. Some male fur seals can only mate with one female fur seal; some can mate with more than 50 or even more than 100 female fur seals.
For the situation of polyandry in the mixed system, please refer to the cassowary family and hyena family. During the mating season, a female cassowary usually mates with 2-3 male cassowaries. After laying eggs, the male cassowaries hatch and raise the chicks.
Hyenas are matriarchal societies. Female spotted hyenas have a higher status than males. Female spotted hyenas with high status will mate with multiple males.
The common bee in our lives is also polyandry . When the virgin queen bee matures, she will fly into mating flight, quickly fly to the drone colony, and release pheromones to attract the drones. During a nuptial flight, the virgin queen bee needs to store enough sperm, so she will mate with multiple drones.
After mating, the virgin queen will tightly close her tail and fly randomly to protect the sperm. At this time, the genitals of the drone are pulled out together with the internal organs, so the drone will die soon after mating.
Obviously, the mixed system has huge advantages. When animals combine with multiple partners, they can give birth to more offspring, which is beneficial to the growth and continuation of the population.
Why do some animals choose monogamy?
The mixed breeding system is conducive to the reproduction of many offspring. Compared with it, the monogamous system does not seem to have much advantage in this regard. However, some animals still choose monogamy to reproduce. Why is this?
According to statistics, 90% of birds reproduce in monogamous relationships, including the familiar swans; only 3% of mammals are monogamous.
As mentioned earlier, polygamy is beneficial to increasing the number of offspring, but monogamy also has advantages. For example, if there are two parents raising the offspring, the survival rate of the offspring will be higher.
The marmoset is one of the monogamous members of the mammals. The reason why they choose this way, zoologists point out, may be related to their body size.
Marmosets are small, with an average weight of only about half a catty, and their birth canals are very narrow. In order for the fetuses to be born safely, marmosets turn one fetus into twins. The total weight of the fetuses remains the same, but each fetus can pass through the birth canal smoothly.
So we will find that marmoset babies are usually twins, and there are a few triplets.
Of course, taking care of twins is much more difficult than taking care of an only child. Female marmosets have to produce twice as much milk to nurse their young, which makes them more tired and more vulnerable to danger, so they need male marmosets to co-parent their young.
When birds build nests and raise their chicks, both males and females usually contribute together. In the hornbill family, the female bird will not go out after laying eggs in the tree hole, and the couple will seal the hole, leaving only a gap.
Before the chicks break out of their shells and fly, the hornbill mother and her son stay in the tree hole, and the hornbill father is responsible for feeding them. Therefore experts believe that when it is necessary to raise offspring together, animals will form monogamous families.
Some friends believe that monogamous animals symbolize loyalty, while promiscuous animals represent romance. In fact, this is not the case. What I will say next may refresh your understanding.
If one partner dies, can the other partner withstand the temptation of mating?
Animals mate for the purpose of reproduction, but if one party in a monogamous family dies, can the other party withstand the temptation of mating?
Source: Bird Network
The actual situation is shocking. Although birds have a proportion of monogamous families as high as 90%, more than 30% of their children are not the father's. Regarding the "loyalty" of monogamous animals, we can divide it into three categories.
· Prairie Dog : When both parties are alive, they can’t resist the temptation
The North American prairie Prairie Dog is one of the most affectionate animals spread on the Internet. It is said that a male will only mate with the female he mates with for the first time and will be loyal to each other throughout his life; and the male is very possessive and will attack any male prairie dog that comes close to his female.
It must be admitted that male prairie dogs are indeed very family-oriented. Under the influence of vasopressin, even males who were once prodigal sons will become excellent dads.
However, in 2005, a paper published by Young and others at Emory University School of Medicine pointed out that the love of prairie dogs is not as "Mutual" as we imagine.
The paper shows that prairie dogs, regardless of male or female, will steal fish whenever they have the opportunity. In other words, they don’t have to wait until they are widowed before they can withstand the temptation to mate.
It is worth mentioning that swans are considered by the West to be a symbol of loyal love, but according to experts, html one in 26 swan babies has a genetic father and a nominal father that are not consistent.
·Mandarin ducks: Two birds in a lifetime? No!
Speaking of birds that symbolize love, the most familiar one to everyone is definitely the mandarin duck. There is a popular saying in our country that "I only envy mandarin ducks but not immortals" Couples hope to find a loyal love like a mandarin duck that will last forever.
However, the mandarin ducks in the real animal world are contrary to the images in literary works. The mandarin duck is a male bird, and the mandarin duck is a female bird. After the female bird lays eggs, the male bird leaves it alone.
It is understood that the average life span of male birds is 5-6 years, and the average life span of female birds is only 2-3 years. After the female bird dies, the male bird will not miss her. Instead, he will be sad for a few days and prepare to "marry another".
Therefore, after one of the famous mandarin ducks, which symbolizes love, dies, the other cannot resist the temptation to mate.
· Anglerfish: Implement the "lifelong system" to the end
Seeing this, you may be confused: Is there any loyal love in the animal world? The answer is yes.
Relevant information shows that California rats, Cuvier's antelopes, Madagascar giant jerboa , Albanian night monkeys, coyotes these animals are not only monogamous in the form of pairing, but also genetically monogamous. With one wife, the biological father of the child is the nominal father.
In addition, there is a kind of fish that lives in the deep sea and achieves "a pair of fish for life", it is Angler . The size of male and female anglerfish is very different. The total length of female fish is 1-1.2 meters, while the male fish is only 8-16 centimeters.
In the vast deep sea, it is not easy for angler fish to find a partner, and the male fish has to live as a parasite on the female fish. Therefore, after the male fish hatches, he immediately looks for a partner. Once he finds one, he immediately pairs up and attaches himself to the female fish to start a parasitic life.
After eating soft food for a period of time, the male fish's mouth and the inside of the body will be linked to the female fish, and finally heal completely. In addition to the testis tissue, other organs of the male fish will stop developing or even completely degenerate.
After the "successful pairing", the male fish relies on the blood of the female fish to maintain life throughout his life, and mates through venous blood circulation, reaching the state of "live and die together".
Conclusion
Animals have various ways of mating, which is eye-opening. Whether monogamous or mixed, most animals mate for the purpose of reproducing offspring and continuing the population. While we understand this, we should not judge them based on the moral standards of the human world.
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