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The persistent embrace of onychophorans: What determines copulation duration in velvet worms?
(Universidad de Costa Rica (Costa Rica), 2019)In the only onychophorans mating that has been photographed, instead of fleeing, the couple remained together despite being manipulated. Why? The duration of copulation in onychophoran sis possibly controlled by the female, ... -
Two ways to be a velvet worm
(Universidad de Costa Rica (Costa Rica), 2019)There are two ways to be a velvet worm. One is to mate vaginally at a young age, give birth in any month and have small, scarce males. The other is to periodically inseminate through the body wall, with sexual equality in ... -
What do we really know about how velvet worms mate?
(Universidad de Costa Rica (Costa Rica), 2019)After more than a century of studying a phylum that has over 200 species, we only have three reports of the mating itself. Insemination can occur vaginally or through the skin, and it is suspected that the male simply ... -
Why do onychophorans and camels need the same gestation time?
(Universidad de Costa Rica (Costa Rica), 2019)One of the many mysteries surrounding onychophorans, is why, despite their small body size, they have gestation periods that are as long as gestation in some mammals. Here we propose that the causes are infrequent feeding ... -
Why do some Australian onychophorans have fantastic heads?
(Universidad de Costa Rica (Costa Rica), 2019)Males of some Australian onychophorans transfer their spermatophores with spectacular structures in their head, such as pits with palps and spines. No one has explained why these structures allow this species to be identified. ... -
Why do velvet worm spermatozoa swim for years?
(Universidad de Costa Rica (Costa Rica), 2019)The sperm of many onychophorans must cross body walls and swim for years before fertilizing an egg. We propose that the cause for such obstacles is the high cost of reproduction in these animals, which leads females to ...