<p>Although considered unattractive by human standards, the large, bulbous noses of male proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) play a crucial role in attracting mates, a new research published in 'Scientific Reports' shows.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Unlike the elephant seal’s similar appendage, which helps in moisture preservation, the proboscis monkey’s nose serves a different purpose in the tropical rainforest.</p>

<p>The prominent nose of the proboscis monkey is clearly a form of sexual signaling. It is just like a peacock’s tail,&nbsp;a classic example of sexual signaling in the animal kingdom where the colourful tail feathers of a male peacock, known as a train, serve as a signal to potential mates and are used in sexual selection.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The size difference between males and females indicated its role in mating, with a study six years ago linking nose size to the number of females a male could attract.</p>

<h2><strong>What makes this large nose attractive?</strong></h2>

<p>One theory suggested&nbsp;that apart from looks, the sounds the nose produces also matters. Proboscis monkeys,&nbsp;that are native to the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, have a distinctive feature.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/massive-iceberg-in-antarctica-breaks-off-during-calving-event-report-725850">Massive iceberg in Antarctica breaks off in third major calving in past four years</a></p>

<p>Their&nbsp;nasal cavities make a variety of vocalisations such as honks and roars that play a crucial role in their communication system.&nbsp;The study showed that females find the nose visually appealing as well in addition to the sound it produces.</p>

<p>Dr. Katharine Balolia of the Australian National University and her student Pippa Fitzgerald noted that&nbsp;the visual effect also involves the fleshy parts of the nose.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/comet-of-the-year-tsuchinshan-atlas-brightens-skygazers-anticipate-spectacular-october-show-725771">'Comet of the Year' Tsuchinshan-ATLAS brightens, skygazers anticipate spectacular October show</a></p>

<p>“We found that males have much bigger nasal cavities than female monkeys, and their nasal cavities also have a different shape compared to females,” Balolia said. “Being able to emit louder and deeper calls thanks to a longer and larger nasal cavity helps male monkeys assert their health and dominance. This helps the male monkeys attract females and ward off other males.”</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/satellite-to-study-how-clouds-affect-climate-725870">Satellite to study how clouds affect climate</a></strong></p>

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<p>Proving that sound mattered didn’t rule out the importance of appearance.&nbsp;Balolia examined a collection of monkey skulls and noted, “We ranked them by toothwear, since the youngest have less.”</p>

<p>The study found that while the nasal cavity reaches its final size around sexual maturity, the fleshy parts of the nose continue to grow and that it modifies sound in an attractive manner.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Although considered unattractive by human standards, the large, bulbous noses of male proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) play a crucial role in attracting mates, a new research published in 'Scientific Reports' shows.

Although considered unattractive by human standards, the large, bulbous noses of male proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) play a crucial role in attracting mates, a new research published in 'Scientific Reports' shows. Unlike the elephant seal’s similar appendage, which helps in moisture preservation, the proboscis monkey’s nose serves a different purpose in the tropical rainforest. The prominent nose of the proboscis monkey is clearly a form of sexual signaling. It is just like a peacock’s tail, a classic example of sexual signaling in the animal kingdom where the colourful tail feathers of a male peacock, known as a train, serve as a signal to potential mates and are used in sexual selection. The size difference between males and females indicated its role in mating, with a study six years ago linking nose size to the number of females a male could attract. What makes this large nose attractive? One theory suggested that apart from looks, the sounds the nose produces also matters. Proboscis monkeys, that are native to the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, have a distinctive feature. Also Read | Massive iceberg in Antarctica breaks off in third major calving in past four years Their nasal cavities make a variety of vocalisations such as honks and roars that play a crucial role in their communication system. The study showed that females find the nose visually appealing as well in addition to the sound it produces. Dr. Katharine Balolia of the Australian National University and her student Pippa Fitzgerald noted that the visual effect also involves the fleshy parts of the nose. Also Read | 'Comet of the Year' Tsuchinshan-ATLAS brightens, skygazers anticipate spectacular October show “We found that males have much bigger nasal cavities than female monkeys, and their nasal cavities also have a different shape compared to females,” Balolia said. “Being able to emit louder and deeper calls thanks to a longer and larger nasal cavity helps male monkeys assert their health and dominance. This helps the male monkeys attract females and ward off other males.” Watch | Satellite to study how clouds affect climate × Proving that sound mattered didn’t rule out the importance of appearance. Balolia examined a collection of monkey skulls and noted, “We ranked them by toothwear, since the youngest have less.” The study found that while the nasal cavity reaches its final size around sexual maturity, the fleshy parts of the nose continue to grow and that it modifies sound in an attractive manner. (With inputs from agencies)

Big noses, big attraction: Study shows how male Proboscis monkeys woo their mates

<p>Virgin births may appear unrealistic and biblical, however, researchers have claimed to have discovered a way to induce female fruit flies to produce offspring even if there are no males around.<br />
<br />
Scientists said that the genes which enable one species of fruit fly to reproduce without sperms fertilising their eggs have been identified by them. The researchers then genetically tweaked another species which normally reproduces sexually to do the same thing.<br />
<br />
“We’re the first to show that you can engineer virgin births to happen in an animal – it was very exciting to see a virgin fly produce an embryo able to develop to adulthood, and then repeat the process,” stated Dr Alexis Sperling, first author of the paper outlining the study and a researcher at the University of Cambridge, while speaking to The Guardian.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/fruit-flies-age-rapidly-when-they-see-their-dead-comrades-study-604390">Fruit flies age rapidly when they see their dead comrades: Study</a></p>

<p>The study which has been published in the journal Current Biology was conducted in six years and made use of 220,000 flies. The researchers first observed one species of fruit fly called Drosophila mercatorum, and understood its ability to reproduce through virgin births, which can also be called parthenogenesis.<br />
<br />
Through sequencing the genome of the fly and identifying the gene which is involved in virgin birth, the researchers could identify the corresponding gene in fruit fly's another species called Drosophila melanogaster and alter that gene to turn it on.</p>

<h2><strong>Virgin births to work as&nbsp;reproductive backup</strong></h2>

<p>The offspring of produced from such genetically modified flies could reproduce either by mating with males or through virgin births. Sperling said taking the path of virgin birth can be hugely beneficial for the species and may work as a reproductive backup for isolated females.<br />
<br />
“If there’s continued selection pressure for virgin births in insect pests, which there seems to be, it will eventually lead to them reproducing only in this way. It could become a real problem for agriculture because females produce only females, so their ability to spread doubles,” she added.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:</strong></p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Process not likely to work for mammals</strong></h2>

<p>Sperling stated that although recent research has discovered a way to “switch on” virgin births in fruit flies, it is unlikely that this approach will work in mammals, even though parthenogenesis has been observed in animals such as lizards and honey bees.<br />
<br />
“Mammals are very separate and it is not a natural occurring phenomenon,” said Sperling. However, she said that the research helped to “understand the beauty of life itself” and “this different type of reproduction”.<br />
<br />
Dr Hannah Maude at Imperial College London, speaking to The Guardian, said, “Our diversity protects us: having two copies of the DNA not only provides a backup for harmful DNA variants – found in every person – but is necessary for so-called imprinted regions that are specifically active from the maternal or paternal DNA copy,”<br />
<br />
“Nevertheless, this exciting research furthers our understanding of reproduction in the animal kingdom,” she added.</p>

<p>You can&nbsp;<strong>now write for&nbsp;wionews.com</strong>&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

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Virgin births may appear unrealistic and biblical, however, researchers have claimed to have discovered a way to induce female fruit flies to produce offspring even if there are no males around.

Virgin births may appear unrealistic and biblical, however, researchers have claimed to have discovered a way to induce female fruit flies to produce offspring even if there are no males around. Scientists said that the genes which enable one species of fruit fly to reproduce without sperms fertilising their eggs have been identified by them. The researchers then genetically tweaked another species which normally reproduces sexually to do the same thing. “We’re the first to show that you can engineer virgin births to happen in an animal – it was very exciting to see a virgin fly produce an embryo able to develop to adulthood, and then repeat the process,” stated Dr Alexis Sperling, first author of the paper outlining the study and a researcher at the University of Cambridge, while speaking to The Guardian. ALSO READ | Fruit flies age rapidly when they see their dead comrades: Study The study which has been published in the journal Current Biology was conducted in six years and made use of 220,000 flies. The researchers first observed one species of fruit fly called Drosophila mercatorum, and understood its ability to reproduce through virgin births, which can also be called parthenogenesis. Through sequencing the genome of the fly and identifying the gene which is involved in virgin birth, the researchers could identify the corresponding gene in fruit fly's another species called Drosophila melanogaster and alter that gene to turn it on. Virgin births to work as reproductive backup The offspring of produced from such genetically modified flies could reproduce either by mating with males or through virgin births. Sperling said taking the path of virgin birth can be hugely beneficial for the species and may work as a reproductive backup for isolated females. “If there’s continued selection pressure for virgin births in insect pests, which there seems to be, it will eventually lead to them reproducing only in this way. It could become a real problem for agriculture because females produce only females, so their ability to spread doubles,” she added. Watch: Process not likely to work for mammals Sperling stated that although recent research has discovered a way to “switch on” virgin births in fruit flies, it is unlikely that this approach will work in mammals, even though parthenogenesis has been observed in animals such as lizards and honey bees. “Mammals are very separate and it is not a natural occurring phenomenon,” said Sperling. However, she said that the research helped to “understand the beauty of life itself” and “this different type of reproduction”. Dr Hannah Maude at Imperial College London, speaking to The Guardian, said, “Our diversity protects us: having two copies of the DNA not only provides a backup for harmful DNA variants – found in every person – but is necessary for so-called imprinted regions that are specifically active from the maternal or paternal DNA copy,” “Nevertheless, this exciting research furthers our understanding of reproduction in the animal kingdom,” she added. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Scientists make 'virgin births' without males possible for fruit flies

An Israeli startup have produced a gaggle of hens all called Golda that are the first in the world to lay eggs that only produce females. Watch this video to know more.

WION Dispatch: Israeli startup breeds hens which only lay female eggs

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