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Intelligence and Virility Are Mutually Exclusive

Biology Monday, December 19, 2005 . This is a SciScoop post by Chad

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New Scientist and news.com.au are both reporting on a new study showing that, in male bats, larger brains means smaller testes and vice-versa. Apparently both brains and testes require a lot of resources to develop, and there just isn’t enough for both. It will be interesting to see if this applies to human males as well.

This reminds me of the geek t-shirt slogan, “My brain is hung like a horse” (available here).

3 Responses to Intelligence and Virility Are Mutually Exclusive

December 20th, 2005 at 2:50 am

Not from where I’m standing it’s not!!! Oh, in bats you say!

Hah!

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barakn

December 22nd, 2005 at 11:50 am

“An extraordinary range of testes mass was documented across bat species – from 0.12% to 8.4% of body mass. That exceeds the range of any other mammalian order.” Even the dumbest 12 pound monkey wouldn’t sport 1 pound testicles.

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Terone

January 3rd, 2006 at 7:14 pm

Likely, this balance between brain and testes size is related to flight.  The routine defeat of gravity requires strict maintenance within an aerodynimically restricted window of mass to volume ratio and strength to weight ratio.  Therefore, a flying mammal will likely show a seasonal variance is testes mass not found in earthbound mammals.  Also, nonessential organs, such as a brain, are also competing for space on the flight platform on a permenant basis within each individual.

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