Battle of the Sexes in the Animal World: The Natural History of SexLinked to a BBC1 television series, this is an account of sexual reproduction in the animal world, culminating in the question of why there should be sex in the first place - the ultimate driving force of evolution, but also selfish, aggressive, competitive, and sometimes fatal. The meeting of mates, the sexual act, and the consequences of producing offspring, forge an alliance between males and females that is rife with tension and distrust. The two sexes tactically play games with each other to get the best return from mating: at stake is the greatest reward for any animal on earth - the generation and survival of their progeny. The drive to succeed in this gives rise to a violent, beautiful and spectacular show of animal behaviour, captured here through the book's colour photographs. |
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Acorn woodpeckers adults aggressive Amazon mollies animals aphids arena baboon battle become behaviour birds blood blue body bonobos bowerbirds breeding brood bull cells chance chicks cichlid clone clutch cock colonies colour competition copulation couple courtship creatures daughters defend display dominant male eggs ensure evolution evolved father favour feeding female's fertilized fighting fish flies forage forest frogs gametes gender genes genetic gonads grey seals guarding harem hatch hectocotylus hens individual insects inseminated inside jacanas kinds live lizards long-tailed manakins male's males and females mammals manakins mate metres monogamy mother neighbouring nest offspring Once organs pair parasites parents partners paternity penis penises perhaps plankton polyandry polyps potential predators produce pups queen rear relatively reproductive rivals role sage grouse semen sexual shells sneaky spawning species sperm spermatophore spiders spotted hyenas stags survival tail territory troop uakari wandering albatross warrior wasps wings worms young