An evolutionary arms race between female and male water bugs leads to strange spikes, hooks and pads on the lad's antennae, a new study finds.
These unusual extras accessories allow the male water striders to grasp resistant females during sex, increasing the likelihood that the males will have offspring. Now, scientists have uncovered the gene responsible for this evolutionary advance, and they've shown that when that gene is quieted, these lanky bugs struggle to mate.
The study essentially turns back the clock on evolution, allowing researchers to see each step in the process of building these antennae.
"If you look at the eye and wonder, 'How did it go from nothing to an eye? It's a highly complex trait. Did it work at every step and just start getting better and better?'" said study researcher Locke Rowe, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Toronto. "Well, you can ask the same thing about these antennae."
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