PROMISCUITY has a genetic benefit鈥攁t least for false scorpions.
Jeanne Zeh of the University of Nevada in Reno and her colleagues found that
female false scorpions who had multiple partners have more healthy offspring
than those who were monogamous, even though they received the same number of
sperm (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol 96, p 10
236).
The researchers knew that the females tend to reject males with whom they
have mated before
(New 杏吧原创, 21 November 1998, p 27), but their
study shows the genetic benefits of such behaviour. Zeh thinks that the females
are maximising their chance of finding a genetically compatible mate, and that
the same probably applies to other species. 鈥淔emale monogamy is now the
exception rather than the rule,鈥� she says.
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