Sexual conflict is a phenomenon that exists not only in humans. Scientists at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) have recently discovered a species of female snail that attempts to conceal its gender in order to “escape” from males.
Two Littorina saxatilis sea snails mating. (Photo tuoitre)
Most female snails secrete mucus along their path so that males can find them, as male snails can distinguish the trails left by females and other males. Males will follow the mucus trail left by females to locate a mate for mating. However, one species of female sea snail (Littorina saxatilis) has stopped marking its trail with mucus.
The consequence of this behavior is that females mate less frequently, as males will spend twice as long trying to locate females. This is a strange and surprising phenomenon, as it has long been believed that females attract mates for mating.
Ecologist Professor Kerstin Johannesson, the lead author of the study, stated: “We discovered that mating is energetically costly for females, as they have mated enough to fertilize all their eggs.”
Today, science has shown that evolution supports females concealing their gender: females capable of hiding their gender tend to have a higher survival rate than other females. “Mating as much as possible is beneficial for males, as it is the only way they ensure the number of females. But for females that mate frequently, their survival is compromised, especially during pregnancy.”
Other female species, such as damselflies (similar to dragonflies but differing in size and wing structure), also attempt to conceal their gender by “camouflaging” themselves to resemble males.
