Bigger horns = better reproduction ?

638 Views · June 28 · Filed under yada yada, nature

Hmm… very interesting….

The horn size of male Alpine ibex – a cousin of the mountain goat residing in the Alps – correlates with genetic diversity and reproductive success.

Bigger horns = better genes

Size matters. At least, it does to an alpine ibex.

According to a team of international researchers, mature, male alpine ibex demonstrate a correlation between horn growth and genetic diversity. Past research studies have shown that greater genetic diversity correlates with a greater chance of survival.

“The size of the horns reliably advertises the genetic quality of the ibex - and the bigger, the better,” said David Coltman, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Alberta and co-author of the study, which was published this month in the journal Molecular Ecology.

The researchers found that horn sizes among younger ibex (one- to six-years-old) are relatively similar regardless of their genetic diversity. However, once the ibex mature to the age when they begin competing for reproductive mates (seven to 12), horn length varies according to genetic diversity: the greater the diversity, the greater the length of the horns.

Read more: ualberta.ca