Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation

by Olivia Judson

  Sex Machines Aren’t Us in the Serengeti

  For copulation rates in lions, see Bygott et al. (1979) and Estes (1991), page 376. The classification of sex mania was developed by Dr. Tatiana. For females needing stimulation to become pregnant, see Wilson et al (1965) (rats); Lanier et al. (1975) (golden hamsters); Dewsbury and Estep (1975) (cactus mice). For induced ovulation in rabbits, ferrets, and domestic cats, and for pregnancy failure in unstimulated rats, see Wilson et al. (1965); for indications that lions may actually ovulate spontaneously, see Schmidt et al. (1979). For evidence that lionesses are least likely to conceive after a takeover, see Packer and Pusey (1983). For reduced female receptiveness after vigorous sex in golden hamsters, see Huck and Lisk (1986); in rats, see Lanier et al. (1979); in crested tits, see Lens et al. (1997). For paternity data in lions, see Packer et al. (1991). For copulation rates in the cat family, see Eaton (1978). For copulation behavior in giant water bugs, see Smith (1979).

  Quasimoda in Delaware

  For the flying-saucer look in long-tailed dance flies, see Funk and Tallamy (2000). For males with small gifts not being allowed to copulate for long, see Thornhill (1976) and Svensson et al. (1990); for presents in the hunting spider, see Austad and Thornhill (1986) and Lang (1996). For a general review of gift giving in insects, see Vahed (1998). For anal feeding in the tropical cockroach, see Schal and Bell (1982). For spider repellent in Utetheisa ornatrix, see Gonzalez et al. (1999); in the scarlet-bodied wasp moth, see Conner et al. (2000). For balloons in balloon flies, see Aldrich and Turley (1899) and Kessel (1955). For reduced circumstances in Mormon crickets, see Gwynne (1981); for reduced circumstances in butterflies, see Vahed (1998).

  Chapter 3: Fruits of Knowledge

  Bronze-winged jacana Metopidius indicus

  Greater rhea Rhea americana

  Red-winged blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus

  Reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus

  Giant honeybee Apis dorsata

  Orange-rumped honeyguide Indacator xanthonotus

  Field grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus

  Green-veined white butterfly Pieris napi

  Shiner perch Cymatogaster aggregata

  Zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata

  Peacock Pavo cristatus

  Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

  Harlequin-beetle-riding pseudoscorpion Cordylochernes scorpioides

  Harlequin beetle Acrocinus longimanus

  Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes

  Rat Rattus norvegicus

  Yellow dung fly Scatophaga stercoraria

  Caribbean reef squid Sepioteuthis sepioidea

  Farmyard chicken Gallus gallus domesticus

  Neglected Househusband in Tamil Nadu

  For yelling in the bronze-winged jacana, see Butchart et al. (1999). For child care in the greater rhea, see Handford and Mares (1985); in fish, see Blumer (1979). For females receiving more help in red-winged blackbirds, see Gray (1997); for males withdrawing help from promiscuous female reed buntings, see Dixon et al. (1994). Stuart Butchart told me of the status of paternity testing in bronze-winged jacanas.

  Waxing Suspicious in the Himalayas

  For the breeding biology of the orange-rumped honeyguide, see Cronin and Sherman (1976). For increased reproductive success with food consumption in grasshoppers, see Butlin et al. (1987). For benefits to female remating in the green-veined white butterfly, see Kaitala and Wiklund (1994). For the controversy over male feeding of females as a mating ruse versus parental investment, see Vahed (1998).

  Outraged in Baja

  For the sex life of shiner perch, see Shaw and Allen (1977) and Darling et al. (1980). For the notion that females remate to hedge against male sterility, see Darling et al. (1980); because they have run out of sperm, see Walker (1980); to promote genetic diversity of their offspring (and for why genetic diversity is unlikely to be an important force in female remating), see Williams (1975), page 129. For the role of genetics in female inclination to remate in Drosophila melanogaster, see Pyle and Gromko (1981); in field crickets, see Solymar and Cade (1990).

  Feeling Inadequate in Malaysia

  For female preferences in Cyrtodiopsis dalmanni, see Wilkinson and Reillo (1994); Andrew Pomiankowski told me of the rampant promiscuity by females in this species. For Darwin on sexual selection, see Darwin (1871 [1981]). For the original statement of Fisher’s runaway process, see Fisher (1999), pages 131ff. For good genes driving female choice, see Williams (1966), page 184. For bracelets on zebra finches, see Burley et al. (1982); for females laying an extra clutch for males with red bracelets, see Zann (1994). For improved survival of peacocks whose fathers had good tails, see Petrie (1994); for female mallards laying larger eggs for sexy drakes, see Cunningham and Russell (2000); for females adjusting the testosterone composition of eggs, see Gil et al. (1999). For condition dependence of eyespan in stalk-eyed flies, see David et al. (2000).

  Stranded in Panama

  For general biology of the harlequin-beetle-riding pseudoscorpion, see Zeh and Zeh (1992); for benefits of multiple mating, see Zeh (1997) and Newcomer et al. (1999); for genetic consequences of multiple mating, see Zeh et al. (1997); for female dislike of previous mates, see Zeh et al. (1998). Trivers (1972) suggested that females might choose mates on the basis of genetic compatibility; it is only recently, however, that genetic incompatibilities have been proposed as a cause of female promiscuity—see Zeh and Zeh (1996) and Zeh and Zeh (1997). For genetic interactions and sperm competition in Callosobruchus maculatus, see Wilson et al. (1997). For rates of infertility and incompatibility in humans, see Mandelbaum et al. (1987). For the role of the major histocompatibility complex in spontaneous abortions, see Beer et al. (1982), Ober et al. (1998), and Creus et al. (1998). For people smelling the difference between mice that differ only at the MHC, see Gilbert et al. (1986); for mice smelling the difference between mice, see Beauchamp et al. (1985). For mixed results regarding whether humans preferentially mate with people who differ at the MHC, see Edwards and Hedrick (1998); for smelly T-shirt experiments (including the reversal of preferences among women on the Pill), see Wedekind et al. (1995) and Wedekind and Füri (1997).

  Mind Boggling and Eyes Popping in the Ivory Coast

  For promiscuity in female chimpanzees, see Goodall (1986), pages 443 and 454. For the notion that female chimpanzees are promiscuous in order to promote sperm competition, see Harvey and May (1989) and Keller and Reeve (1995); for detailed analysis of the sperm competition hypothesis, see Curtsinger (1991) and Keller and Reeve (1995). For variation in outcomes of sperm competition, see Simmons and Siva-Jothy (1998); for sperm competition results in different halves of the rat’s reproductive tract, see Spinka (1988). For mitochondria causing infertility see Folgerø et al. (1993), Bourgeron (2000), and Wei and Kao (2000). For sperm traits that are heritable, see references in Keller and Reeve (1995). For the massive obfuscation hypothesis of female promiscuity, see Hrdy (1979). For infanticide in chimpanzees, see Nishida and Kawanaka (1985).

  The Dandy on the Cowpat

  For a general discussion of the notion that females may actively select sperm, see Eberhard (1996); for a critique, see Birkhead (1998). For sperm rejection in the reef squid, see Hanlon and Messenger (1996), page 117; in the chicken, see Pizzari and Birkhead (2000). For an overview of comb-jelly biology (including Beroë zipping its mouth shut), see Margulis and Schwarz (1998), pages 224–27; for reproductive biology of comb jellies, see Harbison and Miller (1986); for sperm choice in Beroë ovata, see Carré and Sardet (1984) and Carré et al. (1991). For polyspermy in sharks, see Wourms (1977). For patterns of sperm use in the mallard, see Cunningham and Cheng (1999). For claims that the yellow dung fly chooses particular sperm, see Otronen et al. (1997) and Ward (1998); for counterclaims, see Simmons et al. (1996). For sperm displacement and copulation duration in the yellow dung fly, see Parker and Simmons (1994).

  Summary

  For the notion that female promiscuity is a malfunction, see Taylor (1967); a response to har
assment, see Alcock et al. (1977) and Parker (1979). For females getting clogged up in Macrocentrus ancylivorus, see Flanders (1945).

  Chapter 4: Swords or Pistols

  Fig wasp Idarnes (most parasitic fig wasps have not been described in enough detail to have a full Latin name)

  Gladiator frog Hyla rosenbergi

  African elephant Loxodonta africana

  Northern elephant seal Mirounga angustirostris

  Burmese jungle fowl Gallus gallus spadiceus

  Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus

  Two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae

  European bedbug Cimex lectularius

  Jordan salamander Plethodon jordani

  Three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus

  Give Peace a Chance in Ribeiro Prêto

  For an overview of the biology of parasitic fig wasps, see West et al. (1996); for descriptions of fighting in parasitic fig wasps, see Hamilton (1996), chapter 13. For general biology of fig trees, see Janzen (1979b); I learned of the absence of fig wasps on Kauai during my stay on the island. For biology of the fig pollinator wasps, see Wiebes (1979) and Anstett et al. (1997). For seed loss in fig trees, see Janzen (1979a). For the evolution of winged and wingless males in parasitic fig wasps, see Hamilton (1996), chapter 13, and Cook et al. (1997). For conditions favoring the evolution of fatal fighting, see Enquist and Leimar (1990) and (especially with regard to fig wasps) West et al. (2001). For fighting among annual fishes, see Myers (1952). For the biology of gladiator frogs, see Kluge (1981). For violent orchids, see Romero and Nelson (1986). Stuart West told me of trying to study fighting in fig wasps and of never being there in time.

  Anxious in Amboseli

  For green-penis syndrome, and other signs of musth in elephants, see Poole and Moss (1981), Poole (1987), and Poole (1989a); for females preferring large, old males, see Moss (1983); for their summoning bigger bull elephants, see Poole (1989b). For females inciting male competition in northern elephant seals, see Cox and Le Boeuf (1977). For incitation in the Burmese jungle fowl, see Thornhill (1988). For goading in Zootermopsis nevadensis, see Shellman-Reeve (1999). For female cheetahs being aroused by male fights, see Caro (1994), page 42. For fighting in the two-spotted spider mite, see Potter et al. (1976). For fighting in boa constrictors, see Tolson (1992); for a general account of the size advantage in fighting, see Andersson (1994), chapter 11; for fighting conventions in stalk-eyed flies, see de la Motte and Burkhardt (1983). For discussion of delayed fusion of the long bones in elephants, see Poole (1994). For testosterone levels of elephants in musth, see Poole (1989a). For elephant conversations and sex-specific vocabularies, see Poole (1994). For escalation of fights in elephants, see Poole (1989a).

  Making Mischief between the Sheets

  For claims that male Xylocoris maculipennis inseminate one another and for details of their genitalia, see Carayon (1974). In a conversation in August 2001, Mike Siva-Jothy told me that experiments on the European bedbug have failed to find evidence that males inject one another. For gonadal hijacking in Botryllus schlosseri, see Stoner and Weissman (1996). For cementing in Moniliformis dubius, see Abele and Gilchrist (1977). For hypothesized spoiling tactics in African bat bedbugs, see Carayon (1959). For spermatophore trampling and eating and for spermatophore stalagmites, see Proctor (1998); for sabotage in Plethodon jordani, see Arnold (1976).

  Want My Eggs Back in Vancouver

  For egg theft in sticklebacks, see Wootton (1971), Rohwer (1978), and Mori (1995); for evidence that females prefer nests with eggs, see Ridley and Rechten (1981); for the notion that stickleback eggs may be easier to steal than other fish eggs, see Jones (1998). For general biology of bowerbirds, see Diamond (1986); for bowerbirds trying to steal cameras and socks and for a general description of the artists at work, see Diamond (1988). For vandalism and theft among bowerbirds, see Borgia (1985a) and Borgia and Gore (1986). For evidence that female bowerbirds go for the most lavish displays, see Borgia (1985b).

  Chapter 5: How to Win Even If You’re a Loser

  Sponge louse Paracerceis sculpta

  Bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus

  Horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus

  Side-blotched lizard Uta stansburiana

  Peacock Pavo cristatus

  Bluehead wrasse Thalassoma bifasciatum

  Southern sea lion Otaria byronia

  Hammerheaded bat Hypsignathus monstrosus

  Black grouse Tetrao tetrix

  Field cricket Gryllus integer

  Bullfrog Rana catesbeiana

  Parasitic fly Ormia ochracea

  Fringe-lipped bat Trachops cirrhosus

  Little blue heron Florida coerulea

  Mediterranean house gecko Hemidactylus tursicus

  Decorated cricket Gryllodes supplicans

  Marine iguana Amblyrhynchus cristatus

  Sooty mangabey Cercocebus torquatus

  Orangutan Pongo pygmaeus

  Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes

  Red deer Cervus elaphus

  Plainfin midshipman fish Porichthys notatus

  Hoodwinked in the Gulf of California

  For the story of Caesar and Pompeia, see Suetonius, page 11; for the origin of the “above suspicion” quotation, see Plutarch, page 860. For general biology of the sponge louse, see Shuster (1991). For a comprehensive overview of sneaking in fish, see Taborsky (1994). For sneaking in the bluegill sunfish, see Gross and Charnov (1980). For sneaking in elderly male damselflies, see Forsyth and Montgomerie (1987); in horseshoe crabs, see Brockmann and Penn (1992). Bryan Danforth kindly told me of the development of Perdita portalis. For the genetics of male morphology in sponge lice, see Shuster and Wade (1991); for female preferences, see Shuster (1990). For fights in the sponge louse, see Shuster (1989) and Shuster (1990). For beta males behaving like females, see Shuster (1989); for the proportions of different male types in the population, see Shuster and Wade (1991). For the success of male types in the side-blotched lizard, see Sinervo and Lively (1996) and Zamudio and Sinervo (2000).

  Invisible in Sri Lanka

  For groups of young male bluehead wrasse invading territories, see the account in Warner and Schultz (1992) of the natural history of this species. For charges in southern sea lions, see Campagna et al. (1988). For a general discussion of the evolution of leks, see Höglund and Alatalo (1995). For sand castles in Cyrtocara eucinostomus, see McKaye (1983) and McKaye et al. (1990). For honking in the hammerheaded bat, see Bradbury (1977). For an example of females preferring larger leks, see Alatalo et al. (1992). For peacocks lekking with their brothers, see Petrie et al. (1999); for black grouse lekking with their brothers, see Höglund et al. (1999). For the composition of lion coalitions, see Packer et al. (1991); for skewed sex ratios, see Packer and Pusey (1987).

  Hoppin’ Mad in Texas

  For satellite males in luminescent ostracods, see Morin (1986) and Morin and Cohen (1991). For skulking in bullfrogs, see Howard (1978). For female flies being attracted to singing crickets, see Cade (1975), Cade (1979), and Gray and Cade (1999); for genetic variation in crickets’ inclination to sing, see Cade (1981). For a general account of predation on signaling males, see Burk (1982); for fringe-lipped bats preying on calling frogs, see Tuttle and Ryan (1981); for little blue herons eating calling crickets, see Bell (1979); for Mediterranean house geckos lying in wait for female decorated crickets, see Sakaluk and Belwood (1984). For the hunting habits of adult female bolas spiders, see Yeargan (1994); of juvenile bolas spiders, see Yeargan and Quate (1996); of male bolas spiders, see Yeargan and Quate (1997). For predation by Oxybelus exclamans on parasitic flesh flies, see Peckham and Hook (1980).

  Disgusted in the Galápagos

  For masturbation in marine iguanas, see Wikelski and Bäurle (1996). For a general discussion of masturbation in primates, see Dixson (1998), pages 139–45; for the practices of the sooty mangabey, see Gust and Gordon (1991); for sex toys and orangutans, see Rijksen (1978), pages 262–63; for masturbation in chimpanzees, see Temerlin
(1976), pages 137–38. For masturbation in red deer, see Darling (1963), pages 160–61. For a theoretical analysis of sperm competition with sneaks and guards, see Parker (1990b). For the basic biology of the plainfin midshipman, see Brantley and Bass (1994); for brain structure, see Bass and Andersen (1991); for gonad mass, see Bass (1992). For details of quarantines and releases of dung beetles in Australia, see Tyndale-Biscoe (1996); for general biology of Onthophagus binodis, see Cook (1990); for general biology of Onthophagus taurus, see Hunt and Simmons (1998); for differences in big males’ investment in sperm production, see Simmons et al. (1999).

  Chapter 6: How to Make Love to a Cannibal

  European praying mantis Mantis religiosa

  Garden spider Araneus diadematus

  Australian redback spider Latrodectus hasselti

  Sand shark Odontaspis taurus