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News Release 10-053
Small But Mighty Female Lizards Control Genetic Destiny
Mothers win the genetic tug of war by producing more sons with larger fathers and more daughters with smaller fathers
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The male of this species can be two to three times the mass of the female, but the female may be able to control fertilization by selectively using the sperm from different mates.
Credit: Joseph Mehling, Dartmouth College '69
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A mating pair of brown anole lizards from the Bahamas. Males can be up to two to three times larger than females, reflecting an evolutionary history of sexual conflict over the genes for body size.
Credit: Robert Cox and Ryan Calsbeek, Dartmouth College
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Female anole lizards (center) mate with multiple males and then produce more sons with sperm from large males (left) and more daughters with sperm from small males (right).
Credit: Robert Cox and Ryan Calsbeek, Dartmouth College
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The researchers' findings appear in the April 2, 2010 issue of the journal Science.
Credit: Copyright AAAS 2010
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