For some males, the smaller the better

Often large males have an advantage in the animal kingdom, because it helps them to overcome their opponents in competition to be mated. But, it's not uncommon for " dwarf to win the goliat giant ".

Evolutionary ecologist Charles Fox and his colleagues at the University of Kentucky, USA, wondered if there was a case of a small boy who defeated the great man in the race for children. For example, "smaller males may fly better because they are easier to take off," Fox explained.

They investigated the Stator limbatus , breeding 8 strains of this species, including some large and small ones. The team then released the males into a large room with the females ready there.

Fox and colleagues found that the smaller beetles approaching the girls were faster than the big guys, "and it could be guessed that this allowed them to mate more quickly and more often," Fox said.

Stator limbatus beetle (Photo: uky.edu)

Not only that, Fox also noted in other species that smaller males have the advantage, such as in seabirds, "where birds compete with acrobatics, guys. small is favored because they can perform faster ".

The finding may help explain why males of most insects are usually smaller than females, he said.

Odder, the team also found that the smaller guys often chased the females better at low temperatures. Perhaps they warmed the body faster with their small weight, allowing the takeoff to be easy, Fox assumed.

T. An