In Photos: Cave Insects With Sex-Reversed Genitals

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Cave biology

inside a cave in brazil

(Image credit: Current Biology, Yoshizawa et al.)

The researchers suspect this strange reversal of sex roles evolved because of the generous amounts of nutritious semen that males include within their sperm capsules as nuptial gifts for their mates. The caves in which these insects live (an example shown here) are poor in resources, making it advantageous for females to mate more often.

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Live Science Staff
Live Science Staff
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