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Research suggests many animals copulate from time to time, without the delivery of semen, which has baffled scientists, as animal sex is thought to be solely driven by the need to reproduce. New studies, however, suggest males may be engaging in "casual" sex to encourage fidelity. Tommaso Pizzari at the University of Oxford and his team studied feral chickens, known for their promiscuity. Researchers provided one group of hens with a plastic device that prevents egg fertilization; the other group engaged in unprotected sex. Scientists monitored their behavior over the course of several days. The scientists concluded, mounting inhibits the chances of a hen to mate with another rooster. When hens mate again, within four days, fewer sperm reach their final destination, as some natural mechanism in the hen hinders their travel. |
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