The Biology of Love*

*Please note. This discussion in no way attempts to discuss love in a religious context. Rather it is merely an entertaining way to learn about the sometimes comical world of biological reproduction.

By Miss Bakermissbakersbiologyclass.com

If not for sex[ual reproduction], much of what is flamboyant and beautiful in nature would not exist. –Olivia Judson, Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation

Why Sex?

A sexual organism has only 50% of the fitness of an asexual organism.

You Have to Find and Woo a Mate

You Have to Fight to Win Their Love

You'll Be More Conspicuous to Predators

Sex Increases Risk of Diseases

That Lead to SicknessInfertility

Death

So, Why Sex?

The Red QueenRed Queen Hypothesis

What??

• A speices must continually adapt its genes just to maintain an advantage over its predators/parasites!

Lucky in Love

Sex is like the best strategy for winning the lottery

Greater SuccessIncreasing Variety =

The DifferenceBetweenMalesandFemales

Between 1725-1765,the Wife of Feodor Vassiyev had

69 ChildrenIn Her 27 PregnanciesShe Gave Birth to16 Pairs of Twins7 Sets of Triplets4 Sets of Quadruplets

1,042Children

Love is Like a Game of ChessIt's All About Strategy

Base Your Decisions on theEnvironment in Which You Live

Make the Choice That Will Lead to the Greatest

Number of Successful Offspring!

Monogamy...My Heart Beats Only For You

Polygamy...I Love You and You and You and You and

Monogamy PolygamyLess disease risk More diversity in offspringCan mate guard Produce more offspringLower infanticide Less commitmentForm social bondsLess male competition

HowManyOffspringShouldYouHave?

If You Decide to Have Few...

YouMust

ProvideParental Care

If You Decide to Have Many...

You Won't Have to Provide Parental Care

That You'll Die Soon Afterwards

But,You'll

ProbablyBe So

Exhausted

Are You a Desperate Male?

CommitSexualSuicide

It's Betterto Have

LovedandLost

Then toHave Never

Loved at All!

Or Allow Yourself to Be Exploited

And Persist as a TinyBlood-Sucking ParasiteAttached to the Female's Body

Whatif aMemberof theOppositeSexis NotAvailable?

Get a Sex Change!

But, What if You're Alone?

Shy?

Rejected?

Unable to find a mate?

All is Not Lost

Go Asexual

But, Remember You Lose the Benefits of Sex So Switch Back When Possible

Arguably the Most Exquisitely EvolvedMating Behaviors Belong to Class Aves

TheGreatest

HumanMating

BehaviorofAll

Time

And Now for the Finale

Drumroll Please

The End

Photo Credits

Slide # Photographer URL

3 Unknown http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/img/sperm_egg_1is.jpg

4 Michael Reeve http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Evolsex-dia1a.png

5 Arthur Morris http://www.birdsasart.com/Royal-terns-courtship-feeding-DeSoto-FL-_H2D8575.jpg

6 Unknown http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/3290720.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=C06051C8BA2A5A2C4196C3EDFEC0E7E6A55A1E4F32AD3138

7 Billy Campbell http://l.yimg.com/img.tv.yahoo.com/tv/us/img/site/81/22/0000038122_20070301141540.jpg

8 Lampron http://www.health2know.com/images/herpes.jpg

9 Unknown http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/img/sperm_egg_1is.jpg

10 Unknown http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/alicepic/disney-movie/alice-with-queen-of-hearts.jpg

11 John Tenniel http://www.proteusadvisors.com/uploaded_images/Red-Queen-733514.jpg

12 Unknown http://bp3.blogger.com/_92E8fZ0HCXg/Rx5CWQhSyxI/AAAAAAAABJQ/t-P_NSFEcyo/s1600-h/lottery+balls.jpg

13 Unknown http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/05/dpuzzle_640.gif

14 Steven Rhoads http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/society_culture/assets/sex_differences.jpg

15 Can you identify? Found on Creative Commons Flickr Search

16 Unknown http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Moulay_Ismail.jpg

17 PoppyW http://www.flickr.com/photos/poppyw/348928452/

18 Can you identify? Found on Creative Commons Flickr Search

19 WTL http://www.flickr.com/photos/wtlphotos/1045750850/

20 M. Boylen http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Callorhinus_ursinus_and_harem.jpg/300px-Callorhinus_ursinus_and_harem.jpg

Slide # Photographer URL

21 alb

21 lion

James Preston

Brian Scott

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamespreston/88920149/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianscott/283824665/

22 Can you identify? Found on Creative Commons Flickr Search

23 Martha de Jong-Lantink http://www.flickr.com/photos/marthaenpiet/2093911204/

24 Can you identify? Found on Creative Commons Flickr Search

25 Unknown http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/BPANews/Library/images/fish/Chinook_eggs.jpg

26 Anvi http://www.anvious.com/archive/photoblog/061026.jpg

27 Can you identify? Found on Creative Commons Flickr Search

28 TarynMarie http://www.flickr.com/photos/tarynmarie/233251372/

29 T.W. Pietsch http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/news/images/20050129-photocorynus_spiniceps-male_female.jpg

30 Kawa0310 http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_road_ahead/130768000/

31 tlindenbaum http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindenbaum/360684002/

32 ucumari http://www.flickr.com/photos/ucumari/580865728/

33 Jill Greenberg http://photomediamagazineonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/JG-monkeysuitff.jpg

34 Arnar Valdimarsson http://www.flickr.com/photos/arnar/95116503/

35 Mike Kemp http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/96/47/23494796.jpg

36 Unknown http://www.rivalryrecords.com/BAND_LOGOS/logo_GoItAlone_LP.jpg

37 Tim Knight http://homepage.mac.com/wildlifeweb/reptile/komodo_dragon/komodo_dragon_04tfk.jpg

38 Sailing Nomad http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanwhisner/363966960/

40 Unknown http://www.moviewallpapers.net/images/wallpapers/1977/saturday-night-fever/saturday-night-fever-1-1024.jpg

41 ucumari http://www.flickr.com/photos/ucumari/427035041/