Chastity Belts

Posted on March 6, 2007 by Confused

Some male spiders up-and-leave right after sex for good reason – they risk being eaten by their female partners if they linger too long. In the process of making a swift exit, many leave part of their genitalia inside their mates.Now a new study reveals that detaching part of the genital organ is not a means to help the male escape a murderous attack. Instead, the abandoned genitals act as “chastity belts” and block the entry of sperm from competitors into the female.Gabriele Uhl at the University of Bonn, Germany, and colleagues watched wasp spiders (Argiope bruennichi) mate. During the act, a male must insert one of its two sperm-carrying organs, known as pedipalps, into the female’s genital openings. After delivering the sperm, the tip of the pedipalp becomes stuck inside the female, forming a plug in her reproductive tract.[link]

Fascinating.

Filed under: Links

« »

33 Responses

  1. Just Mohit, on March 7th, 2007 at 11:25 am Said:

    Jyothsna: tch tch, really?! :-)

  2. jyothsnay, on March 7th, 2007 at 12:01 pm Said:

    :-) yes Mohit.just you run through the archives of R, you would find many a statement of such kind n then *tangible acts of justification.however, whether or not prefer it, we need to survive with men,else life is pretty boring,hearts do find no complex upheavals, n thus rendered existence staid.

    if u allow me, I need to rip “Rippu” apart (we play this game most times)
    the female thinks that the male is still behind her.. …not all female species are so dumb kid…sure there is a plethora of proven theories and hypotheses on this forever eternal “male-female conflict’ (can you think the world without this?ugh, must be gruesome) and men are established as more intelligent than women…
    Any man with a brain larger than an acorn knows that **smart women are a pain in the back side and nothing is better on a cold night than a dumb hot chick, *bourbon on the rocks, and a good gun dog.
    http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2006/09/men_are_more_in.php
    Smart women want too much from a man and the truely smart women know to act stupid even if it means bagging an IQ test.

    *Big breasts (sharp brains) are better than big brains*…ah,the feminine power!

  3. jyothsnay, on March 7th, 2007 at 12:02 pm Said:

    R
    my response to Mohit and Rippu (shadows) has vanished into that spam bank…

  4. confused, on March 7th, 2007 at 8:44 pm Said:

    Skashi,

    Thanks for the information! Part three has been sabotaged by the mai-baap sarkaar!

    Vivek,

    I like that, like a true bureaucrat, rules along with the loopholes! What can be better than that. :P

    Shripriya, Mohit,

    Please do! No one reads this blog, I will be happy to know at least people are reading the comments.

    Jyo,

    Done! Your highness!

  5. Cinamon, on March 7th, 2007 at 11:16 pm Said:

    well am a woman… so i have a legal right to forget the names of scientists (just kidding. )

    whoever was behind gravity… blame him…blame the earth… blame gravity.

    But shadows…irony of life…one of those teeny tiny things fights gravity… birth control and gets to the finish line.

    I am grateful it does….. else… i would not have had my bundle of joy.

  6. shadows, on March 8th, 2007 at 1:35 am Said:

    >> Smart women want too much from a man and the truely smart women know to act stupid even if it means bagging an IQ test.
    =========

    Jyothsna,

    The very same men want their women to be smart in the morning !

    Cinamon,

    No need to fight gravity.
    One just has to turn over ! Simple.

  7. Just Mohit, on March 8th, 2007 at 9:45 am Said:

    Confused: Don’t say things like “No one reads this blog”. Shadows, Jyo, Barbarindian, Cinamon & I do!
    Everyone: Please spam Confused’s comments in protest :)

  8. shadows, on March 8th, 2007 at 11:36 am Said:

    Mohit,

    His spam filter will never forgive you :)

  9. jyothsnay, on March 8th, 2007 at 11:37 am Said:

    ye ye Mohit
    we all read…n look at those colourful national flags from every corner of mother loam….everyone reads!

    Now I need to speak to Ms Cinamon…may I ? thank you

    …Gravity and Friction are unforgettable factors that co-exist with humans and define our motives in everyday life.Friction slows us down, makes us pacey, creates and recreates heat and wears our bodies down, which is a delirious and meaningful experience humans go through…do read Milan Kundera sometimes, my dear woman.
    Blaming these forces and the discoverers of the same is unpardonable an act
    BTW, Happy Women’s Day to you, Ruchira, TGIF, and other gorgeus ladies who drape R’s blog..let’s make men’s lives more miserable..

  10. Just Mohit, on March 8th, 2007 at 3:52 pm Said:

    Testing spam filter ;-)

    Jyo: I doubt you (i.e. the women) can make men’s life (any) more miserable :)

  11. jyothsnay, on March 8th, 2007 at 5:52 pm Said:

    umm, Mohit…
    listen to “The Times they are A-changing” by Bob Dylan,once again please!

    from the days when a perfect mountain like a man emerged from the cave, disheveled hair, his beard awry, a heavy club in his hand, we call him Cave-dudes,who hit his woman over the head n dragged her home to his cave, ……till this moment,things, without disturbing u n me n others,changing….”miserable” is hitting new low levels…
    *time to hit the feathers

  12. Just Mohit, on March 8th, 2007 at 6:24 pm Said:

    Jyo: your comment reminded me of this

  13. jyothsnay, on March 8th, 2007 at 8:59 pm Said:

    Mohit,that’s indeed funny (not so hilarious though)…
    too much Clubbing*….I should buy a club..if someone does not like my presentation, stretch n tung.if someone disturbs my driving, stretch n tung….if someone breaks my heart, stretch n tung..how simple life could be…club power!

« Older Comments

Comments are closed.