Flashy tits equals stronger sperm–at least in the bird world.
A recent study of the birds known as great tits, by evolutionary ecologist Fabrice Helfenstein at the University of Bern, Switzerland, found that the more colorful and bright a male tit’s plumage, the stronger the bird’s sperm is.
The study, published in Ecology Letters, explains that the plumage of some birds contains carotenoids–important antioxidants that can help the bird combat cellular damage caused by stress from predators or feeding babies. A higher amount of carotenoids also results in intensely colored plumage in males, signaling the bird’s increased capacity to ward off stress and preserve its sperm from damage.
