Fitness
Where Does the Female Orgasm Come from? Scientists Think They Know
Primitive animals are compared with complex ones to study the evolutionary path of climax
"reproduction"
Conservation
100-Year-Old Turtle, the Last of Her Kind, Could Soon Be a Mom
An international team of scientists has succeeded in artificially inseminating the last female Yangtze giant softshell turtle. Will babies be far behind?
Health
Botanical Sexism Cultivates Home-Grown Allergies
It's the time year for watery eyes and itchy noses, and if you're among the afflicted, you may be surprised to learn that decades of botanical sexism in urban landscapes have contributed to your woes...
Health
New Test Lets Women Pick Their Best IVF Embryo
But the FDA-approved technology for use with in vitro fertilization has yet to prove it leads to better babies
Salud
¿Cuándo llegarán a EE. UU. los ‘bebés de 3 progenitores’?
La medida del Parlamento del Reino Unido plantea interrogantes sobre el futuro de una nueva técnica de reproducción en Estados Unidos.
Health
When Will “3-Parent Babies” Come to the U.S.?
Action in the U.K. Parliament is raising questions about the future of a new reproductive technique in America
Health
Spreading Measles Outbreak Also Takes Heavy Economic Toll
The virus is squeezing finances in affected communities—and diverting funds and resources from other health care priorities
The Sciences
Octopus Genome Remains Elusive—But Full of Promise
As many mysteries as the octopus holds—its comprehensive camouflage, smart suckers, agile brain—its genome is surely holding many more (including how it can regenerate its arms—suckers, nerves and all)...
There Are Plenty of Octopuses In the Sea—Or Are There?
First a moment to celebrate Octopus Chronicles‘ 100th post! Little could I have imagined when I started this blog in November 2011 that there would be so much amazing octopus research to cover—and so many wonderful readers...
Environment
Call of the Orangutan: Injuries and Their Limitations
This last month has been extremely stressful for all of us at Sikundur research station in North Sumatra while we've been following two of our favorite orangutans, Suci and her 3-year-old infant Siboy...
Mistaken Octopus Sex Identity Leads to Multi-Armed Wrestling Match [Video]
The octopus, by in large, practices very safe sex. You would, too, if you and the object of your affection were both cannibals. But the algae octopus (Abdopus aculeatus) has developed a relatively sophisticated mating system that involves far more close contact than many other octopus species...
Environment
Catching Big Mama Fish Curbs Ocean Fertility
Scientists recently confirmed what anglers have known for centuries—there's something special about a big mama fish. The bigger the fish, the better the bragging rights—and often, the bigger paycheck or prize...
Mind & Brain
This Queasy Love: How Having Frequent Diarrhea as a Child Shapes Your Adult Mate Choice
It's not everyday that love and diarrhea come together in theoretical matrimony. Recently, however, a study by an interdisciplinary team of scientists managed to form this near-perfect union...
Octopus Eggs Need Helpful Bacteria To Stay Healthy, Too
We’re just learning how important certain microbes can be to our own health. They can help us digest foods and protect us from harmful invaders.
Health
Heparin Does Not Reduce Pregnancy Complications, and May Create Some
A commonly used blood thinner does not appear to lower the risk of blood clots or miscarriage during pregnancy
Evolution
Female Octopus Strangles Mate, Then Eats Him
Octopuses do the darndest things. Like kill their mate during mating—by strangling him with three arms, according to new observations from the wild.
Mind & Brain
Voices Carry (Signals of Your Sexual Intent and Reproductive Value)
If you really want to know if someone is into you - as in, wants to have your babies - never mind what they say. It's all in how they say it.
Evolution
Getting to Know Whale Vaginas in Seven Steps
It's not easy to study a whale vagina. But it is necessary. Right now, penises get far more attention than vaginas in the science world. (It's also apparent in the museum scene, too—sadly, today, there's no vagina equivalent to rival the Icelandic Phallocological Museum)...
Evolution
Giant Sperm Found in Crustacean Fossils
The "gargantuan gametes" are the oldest on record and have visible nuclei
Biology
Mating Octopuses Prefer Crab Legs
Male octopuses don’t usually wine and dine prospective mates. But prior to mating, both males and females do seem to be in the mood for one date-worthy food: crab, according to new research published online in the Journal of Shellfish Research...
