科普知识学英语 雌蝴蝶可嗅出雄性是否为近亲.docVIP

The mating success of male butterflies is often lower if they are?inbred（近亲交配的）. But how do female butterflies know which males to avoid? New research reveals that inbred male butterflies produce significantly less sex pheromones, making them less attractive to females. The research was published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. ? If animals (and humans) breed with a relative their offspring will be inbred and more likely to have genetic disorders. Because of these disorders inbred males are often weaker and, for instance, less able to defend the nest or provide food for their youngsters. To make sure her offspring will have the highest chance of survival and reproduction, females are expected to avoid mating with a weak inbred male. That is, if she is able to recognize who is inbred and who is not. ? Erik van Bergen, currently at the University of Cambridge and formerly with Leiden University, where he conducted much of the research, said: Interestingly, traits used by males to attract the opposite sex are often strongly affected by inbreeding and might be used by females to recognize inbred individuals. For example, inbred male zebra?finches（斑胸草雀）?produce a lower number of different individual songs and inbred male guppies have less conspicuous colour patterns. Additionally, in one cricket species, the inbred males are known to produce less?acoustic（听觉的）?signals while trying to attract females. ? For the butterfly Bicyclus anynana, it is critical that the female avoids breeding with an inbred male as some 50 per cent of the latter are completely?sterile（不育的）. As a result, if a female mates with a sterile inbred male none of her eggs will hatch, and she will therefore produce no offspring. ? For the study, the researchers produced inbred butterflies by ensuring that sisters could only reproduce with their own brothers. The male inbred offspring were then tested for their flight performance (as an index of general condition) and the amount of