Like Humans, Male Turkeys Use 'Wingmen' To Attract Females
- 11 years ago
The mating behavior of male wild turkeys is similar to humans in that they use a wingman to help pick up females.
The mating behavior of male wild turkeys is similar to humans in that they use a wingman to help pick up females.
A subordinate male accompanies the dominant wild turkey when they approach a female wild turkey, and only the dominant one ends up mating.
Researchers from the University College London and the University of Oxford looked at the genetic causes of this kind of social behavior among wild turkeys.
Male turkeys are genetically predisposed to being either dominant or subordinate, and the pair that lures a female turkey to mate are usually brothers, but rather than competing for the females attention, they work together.
Professor Judith Mank, a geneticist at University College London and the senior scientist behind the study, said: “The females are looking at the brothers as well when they are looking at a dominant male. It gives them a much broader view of what they are getting from a potential mate’s genes.”
Over the winter, the male turkeys figure out which one is dominant by competing, and the subordinates reportedly take on feminine genes.
The dominant males tend to develop a brighter red coloring on their heads, and the subordinates while still colored, make no attempt to mate with the females.
The mating behavior of male wild turkeys is similar to humans in that they use a wingman to help pick up females.
A subordinate male accompanies the dominant wild turkey when they approach a female wild turkey, and only the dominant one ends up mating.
Researchers from the University College London and the University of Oxford looked at the genetic causes of this kind of social behavior among wild turkeys.
Male turkeys are genetically predisposed to being either dominant or subordinate, and the pair that lures a female turkey to mate are usually brothers, but rather than competing for the females attention, they work together.
Professor Judith Mank, a geneticist at University College London and the senior scientist behind the study, said: “The females are looking at the brothers as well when they are looking at a dominant male. It gives them a much broader view of what they are getting from a potential mate’s genes.”
Over the winter, the male turkeys figure out which one is dominant by competing, and the subordinates reportedly take on feminine genes.
The dominant males tend to develop a brighter red coloring on their heads, and the subordinates while still colored, make no attempt to mate with the females.