Stephanie
Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer
Sporting a
horn on your head two-thirds the length of your body might seem like a drag.
For the rhinoceros beetle, though, massive head-weapons are no big deal.
Turns out,
pitchfork-shaped protrusions on the heads of rhinoceros beetles don't slow them
down during flight, new research shows. The findings may explain why the beetles'
horns are so diverse and elaborate, said study researcher Erin McCullough, a
doctoral student at the University
of Montana
"Because
the horns don't impair the beetles' ability to fly, they might be unconstrained
by natural
selection," McCullough told LiveScience, referring to the evolutionary
process that weeds out weak traits while passing on advantageous ones.
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