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sparrow exposed as world's most promiscuous bird

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n2doc Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-23-10 12:25 PM
Original message
sparrow exposed as world's most promiscuous bird
By Jody Bourton
Earth News reporter


A bird living on the coast of the US is the world's most promiscuous bird, say scientists.

The saltmarsh sparrow, a bird that lives in the marshes of Connecticut, was found to have extreme levels of multiple mating.

The researchers found that 95% of females mated with more than one male during each nesting period.

This unusual behaviour could be a survival mechanism due to coastal flooding, researchers say.

The researchers, who are based in the US, publish their results in the journal The Auk.

more

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8473000/8473161.stm
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MineralMan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-23-10 12:52 PM
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1. That's not news. Chaucer knew this and
Edited on Sat Jan-23-10 12:54 PM by MineralMan
described the Summoner or ("Somnour") this way in the Canterbury Tales:

And hot he was, and lecherous as a sparrwe,...

so, there ya go.
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Iggo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-23-10 02:17 PM
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2. Fucking sparrows! (n/t)
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Cirque du So-What Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-23-10 02:22 PM
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3. Well, I'll be a dirty bird!
Mother Nature plays the odds, and in the case of the saltmarsh sparrow, promiscuity works to their advantage. They don't have the luxury of investing reproductive time & energy in showy mating rituals.
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