Introducing Genetics Unzipped
Big Biology
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Cannibalizing a Spider
Australian black widow spiders are a fraction of the size of their female counterparts. The male must first get close enough to the female without being mistaken for any old prey. Then he basically sticks the equivalent of penis hans into the female's sperm storing vagina, called sperma teca. But once the male has started copulating, he not only allows the female to eat him, he actively throws his body into her mouth. It sounds pretty grim for the male, but this cannibalism actually benefits him in three ways. He can transfer as much sperm over as possible while she's distracted by munching down on him,. And thirdly, females that cannibalize their partner are less likely
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