Forget the sperm race: Fertilization may depend on teamwork
New research suggests that sperm in many arthropod species work together in coordinated groups rather than competing individually to fertilize an egg. This cooperative behavior, known as sperm conjugation, appears to be a widespread evolutionary strategy.
Fertilization is commonly portrayed as an intense contest in which millions of sperm race toward a single egg. New research from evolutionary biologists at Syracuse University, University of Siena, Italy, and University of Szeged, Hungary, points to a more complex picture. In some species, reproductive success may depend not only on competition, but also on sperm working together.
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