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Quiet bison get more action than louder rivals
by Scott Gilbreath ~ December 30th, 2008
Researchers studying the mating behaviour of bison discovered something remarkable: The more noise a bull makes, the less likely he is to sire offspring.
During bison mating season, the quietest bulls score the most mates and sire the most offspring while studs with the loudest bellows see the least action, according to a surprising new study by researchers at University of California, Davis, and Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. The researchers also found that the volume of a bull’s bellow was not related to its weight or age.
“We were expecting to find that the bigger, stronger guys – the high-quality males – would have the loudest bellows, because they can handle the costs of it,” said Megan Wyman, a graduate student in geography at UC Davis and the lead author of the study. “But instead, we found the opposite. My collaborator in San Diego wanted me to call the paper ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick.’”
Teddy Roosevelt would love that.
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