Thursday 11 September 2014

Rhinoceros beetle species have designed their own weaponry

This information was found out by a study of males of the rhinoceros beetle species, to discover the purpose of their impressive various horn styles, due to lack of evidence to support that it is to attract females and which are generally used to fight other males for mating rights. Three species each with different horn styles were studied which were Trypoxylus dichotomus, Dynastes hercules and Golofa porteri. For more information click here for a link. 
Trypoxylus dichotomus displayed a fighting style in which it used it's horn similar to a pitchfork to twist their opponent off the tree whilst Dynastes hercules used their horn like pliers to lift and squeeze and finally Golofa porteri had more of a technique that we'd use when fencing; which all worked well when faced with the same species type but when faced against a member of one of the different species, it often demonstrated losses with horns often breaking under the stress. This showed that each individual species had evolved it's own unique weaponry system as a response to each individual species needs.
I found this article very interesting to read as it is a perfect example of the evolutionary diversification of nature and how it is capable of coming up with a solution to individual species environmental demands. It never ceases to amaze me that whilst we as humans had to think of, build and develop are own weaponry that nature has designed it's own often, far before we have even thought of it.
 

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