Dr. Carin Bondar - Biologist with a Twist

Animal Reproduction

Female Pygmy Squid Prefer Smaller Males

Male pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) attach their spermatophores to the outside of their partner’s body, and multiple males can make such deposits. This leaves females with the choice of which spermatophore to accept, and they [...]
Animal Parenting

Nazca Booby Pseudomoms & Their Deadly Parenting Behaviour

Nazca boobies are ground-nesting colonial seabirds that exhibit unique pseudomothering behaviour. In any given year, there are reproductive females whose nests have failed. While busy parents are off foraging for food for their nestlings, which [...]
Animal Reproduction

These Female Mouth-Brooding Cichlids Collect Sperm From Several Males

Mouth-brooding female cichlids (family Cichlidae) are in control of both pre- and post-mating sexual selection. In this highly specialized mating system, females gather up their extruded eggs and brood them in their mouths while soliciting [...]

Animal Reproduction

Mating Signals and Sound Pollution – The Cocktail Party Problem

April 14, 2021 0

Environmental variation can wreak havoc on animals that use auditory signals to find mates. Ever tried to carry on a conversation with a potential mate in a noisy nightclub? Have you had much success in […]

The Effect of Ovarian Fluid on Sperm Dynamics in These Fish

April 7, 2021 0

Externally fertilizing fish provide several fascinating examples of cryptic female choice at work. In these systems, females lay their eggs in nests on the floor of their aquatic habitat, and males fertilize them externally. Congeneric […]

Earwigs and Red Flour Beetles Exercise Cryptic Female Choice

March 31, 2021 0

In some of the more simplistic cases of cryptic female choice, females prove unable to discern a good mate from a bad one during pre-coital activities. In many insects it’s extremely difficult to tell a […]