Spektrum (inoffiziell)Jan 20, 2023
Ein seltsamer Riesenfortsatz am Kopf eines urzeitlichen Meerestieres diente wohl für Paarungskämpfe. Er ist das älteste Indiz für solche Duelle zwischen Männchen einer Art.
Urzeitliche Sex-Kämpfe mit mysteriösem Dreizack
#Trilobiten #Paarung #Walliserops #Paarungskämpfe #Kopfschmuck #Biologie #Fossil #Ausgestorben
Urzeitliche Sex-Kämpfe mit mysteriösem Dreizack

Ein seltsamer Riesenfortsatz am Kopf eines urzeitlichen Meerestieres diente wohl für Paarungskämpfe. Er ist das älteste Indiz für solche Duelle zwischen Männchen einer Art.

Spektrum.de
Lukas VFN 🇪🇺Jan 18, 2023

Unique #trilobite trident could be the oldest evidence of male sexual combat
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-unique-trilobite-trident-oldest-evidence.html Paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2119970120

#Trident-like structures found on the heads of #Walliserops #trilobites may have been used by males to compete in fights for dominance, with the #arthropods trying to flip their rival over. While there are no characteristics of living #animals that can be directly compared to these, the weapons of #RhinocerosBeetles are broadly similar.

Unique trilobite trident could be the oldest evidence of male sexual combat

Fighting for mates may be a behavior that dates back over 400 million years.

Phys.org
Rob KnellJan 17, 2023
Great paper out in PNAS on the fabulous #Devonian #trilobite #Walliserops trifurcatus. This is a @nytimes article about it featuring commentary from yours truly (apparently I am now a palaeontologist) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/16/science/trilobite-trident-sexual-combat.html
Why This Trilobite Had Neptune’s Trident for a Nose

A new paper suggests an ancient creature’s odd anatomical feature may be the earliest known example of specialized sexual combat in the animal kingdom.