New Zealand
Male Wellington tree wētā have three different mating strategies related to the size of their jaw-like weapons, according to new research. While male wētā that matured early had smaller weaponry, their head start allowed them to circumvent competition and avoid fighting with their large, late-blooming counterparts in order to mate. The author found that the different strategies were due to genetics rather than environmental differences, and equally common in the wild, suggesting that each approach has its own advantage.
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Professor Mary Morgan-Richards, evolutionary biologist, Massey University, is available for interview:
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