Conjugation (or mating) of ciliates is a unique phenomenon among living beings. They have sex not for reproduction or pleasure — they seek to increase genetic variation. Scientists from St Petersburg ...

Spider mites — they’re just like us. Scientists at the University of Vienna have uncovered the creepy-crawlies’ sexual habits. Male spider mites will “undress” their female counterparts before ...

Some animals, from puffins and swans to prairie voles, are known to mate for life. For female mosquitoes, mating typically occurs once in their lifetime—lasting under 30 seconds—before the couple go ...

The mating process is one of the most important mechanisms for maintaining genetic variation in natural populations. The emergence of sexual reproduction turned out to be the most important ...