In birds as in people, female fertility declines with age. But some female birds can slow the ticking of their biological clocks by choosing the right mates, says a new study.
Female birds become progressively less fertile as age takes its toll, said co-author Josh Auld of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in Durham, North Carolina. Older females lay fewer eggs, and they lay them later in the season -- at a time when less food is available for their chicks, he explained.
But despite abundant evidence of fading fertility in females, scientists know little about the role played by their mates. "The thought was that males didn't matter," Auld said.
Lees meer: ScienceDaily
Female birds become progressively less fertile as age takes its toll, said co-author Josh Auld of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in Durham, North Carolina. Older females lay fewer eggs, and they lay them later in the season -- at a time when less food is available for their chicks, he explained.
But despite abundant evidence of fading fertility in females, scientists know little about the role played by their mates. "The thought was that males didn't matter," Auld said.
Lees meer: ScienceDaily
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