Why baritone males are more alluring to females

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

Washington, Nov 18 : A new study, conducted by researchers at Friedrich Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany, has revealed that male bats turn up the bass to intimidate rivals and attract females.

In the study, the researchers found that greater sac-winged bats react more aggressively to more resonant low-frequency sounds than high-frequency sounds.

The 2-inch (5-centimeter) long mammals are found in Central and South America.

"We were really surprised to find low-frequency sound playing so big a role in so small a bat," National Geographic quoted lead author Oliver Behr of Friedrich Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany, as saying.

"It is going to be exciting further analysing the behaviour in future experiments," added Behr.

Behr also found that male bats that make lower frequency calls sire more offspring than their competitors, suggesting that bats with the deepest voices are most alluring to females.

According to experts, a number of other mammals use threat displays to give rivals a sense of their power.

Such calls, though loud and energy-intensive, pay off because they usually allow the animals to resolve conflicts without attacking one another.

The study is published in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.

ANI

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