Nicola Williams holds a PhD in the History of Science from the University of Leeds, U.K. and currently works as a science writer across an array of subject areas broadly spanning, but not limited to, biology, physics, medicine and technology.
Silverback gorillas are famous for their impressive, bulging physiques — and their rather modest genitalia. Now, scientists have uncovered a potential genetic link between these apes' small members and infertility problems in male humans.
Gorillas operate in a polygynous system, in which a dominant male has near-exclusive access to females in his troop. The silverback's unwieldy physique means it has no problem securing mates, and thus, its sperm doesn't have to compete with that of other males and it can produce offspring without many, highly motile swimmers. The theory is that this lack of sperm competition led to the evolution of gorillas' small genitalia.
Roughly 15% of U.S. couples have trouble conceiving, according to Yale Medicine, and more than half of those cases involve male infertility. Around 30% of infertility cases have a genetic basis, said Vincent Straub, a doctoral student in population health at the University of Oxford who was not involved in the new study. However, the genes involved in male infertility are poorly understood.
This can happen when there isn't strong pressure to get rid of genetic mutations that could hinder a population's survival — such as those related to gorillas' low-quality sperm. This process, called"relaxed purifying selection," can result in seemingly harmful mutations becoming common in a species.—10 phallic flora and fauna that look just like penisesThe data turned up 578 genes in the gorilla lineage that underwent this type of selection.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How Old Serena & Venus Williams Are In King Richard (& How Their Actors Compare)Demi Singleton as Serena Williams and Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams in King Richard
Read more »
UFC Fight Night Williams vs Harris Odds, Picks, and Predictions: Williams Won't Waste TimeGet Williams vs Harris predictions, picks, and odds for 5-18, plus UFC Fight Night fight prediction and best bet analysis.
Read more »
Kenrich Williams Says OKC Thunder's Jalen Williams is 'Not Your Normal Rising Star'In his end-of-season exit interview, veteran forward Kenrich Williams had high praise for one of his younger teammates.
Read more »
Who Are Serena Williams' Parents, Richard Williams And Oracene Price?Randi Richardson is a reporter for NBC News' TODAY.com based in Brooklyn.
Read more »
Monique M. Chouraeshkenazi PhD, PsyD, MSCPMonique M. Chouraeshkenazi, Ph.D., Psy.D., is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at George Mason University's Center for Psychological Services. She is also an U.S. Air Force veteran, author, neuropsychometrician, homeland/national security expert, researcher, and scientist.
Read more »
PhD Researcher Positions (f/m/d) - Germany (DE) job with Humboldt Universität zu BerlinPhD Positions (f/m/d) Yeast Synthetic Biology Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Germany Location: Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin The newly established Emmy Noether Group, led by Dr. Gita Naseri at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, is seeking applications to fill available PhD positions (TV-L E13, 65%).
Read more »