The golden lion tamarin is a monogamous primate. A male and a female will bond for life, mating only with each other, and cooperating to rear their family. Over 200 other mammal species are also monogamous, which is puzzling. Why do males stick around? In the news section of today’s New York Times, I have an article on two new studies on this mystery. It’s an example of science as a work in progress: the studies end up with very different conclusions. Check it out.
The New York Times, July 29, 2013
The golden lion tamarin, a one-pound primate that lives in Brazil, is a stunningly monogamous creature. A male will typically pair with a female and they will stay close for the rest of their lives, mating only with each other and then working together to care for their young.
To biologists, this deeply monogamous way of life — found in 9 percent of mammal species — is puzzling. A seemingly better evolutionary strategy for male mammals would be to spend their time looking for other females with which to mate.
Continue reading “Despite Two New Studies on Motives for Monogamy, the Debate Continues”
Sara Faust writes, “The Science Ink collection has been a favorite among my friends and me for a long time, and I am excited to finally be able to submit for your consideration a (hopefully) unique nerdy tattoo of my own. After explaining to the tattoo artist and various family friends that, no, it is not a raisin or a boot tread or a pill, it will be a relief to share it with people who perhaps will appreciate the humor of an endosymbiotic twist on the classic “Mom” ink. The moment I first learned about mitochondrial DNA, my immediate reaction was, ‘That would make a great Mom tattoo…’ Years later, it’s finally a reality!”
For more on this gift from our mothers, all the way back to Mitochondrial Eve and beyond, read this.
You can see the rest of the Science Tattoo Emporium in my book,Science Ink: Tattoos of the Science Obsessed.
“You may have never set eyes on an oil palm tree, but it’s probably an intimate part of your everyday life. Whether you start your day with a shave or an application of lipstick, you are probably putting the oil from the tree’s fruits on your face. You buy a donut on the way to work, and with each bite, you swallow some of the palm oil in which it was cooked. After work, you stop at the supermarket, and about half the products on the shelves contain palm oil. Before bed, you scrub your face with soap and brush your teeth with toothpaste. They’re both palm oil’s way of wishing you good night.”
That’s how I start my “Matter” column for the New York Times this week about a tropical tree that has infiltrated everyday life in a way few of us realize–and which has gobbled up tropical forests to feed our collective hunger. Now scientists have deciphered its genome. Will its DNA hold secrets for raising oil palm trees sustainably, or will it just accelerate the palm oil’s dominance? Those are some of the questions that I explore. Check it out.
I’ve discovered that some people who read my stuff don’t obsess over RSS, Twitter, Facebook, and the rest of the social media world the way I do, so I’ve decided to email a short newsletter every Friday. If you’d like to receive Friday’s Elk each week, sign up here. That way, not a single parasitic wasp or mouse-unculus will pass you by!