Christopher X J. Jensen
Professor, Pratt Institute

Self-castration sometimes turns out to be good for reproductive success

Posted 21 Jun 2012 / 0

Biology Letters “Emasculation: gloves-off strategy enhances eunuch spider endurance” Nature Research Highlights “Castration boosts spider stamina“

A Minor Post, Articles, Sex and Reproduction

“Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence” exhibit at the American Museum on Natural History

Posted 19 Jun 2012 / 0

Today I had the pleasure of accompanying my daughter’s fourth grade class to the “Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence” exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. Beyond making sure that all students returned home safely, I was also interested in how this exhibit explained bioluminescence as an evolved adaptation. When I teach Evolution, one Read More

A Major Post, Adaptation, Behavior, Coevolution, Competition, Convergence, Cooperation, Evolution, Interactions, Marine Ecosystems, Museum design, Museums & Zoos, Mutualism, Phylogenetics, Predation, Sex and Reproduction, Terrestrial

Sex and Slime on Fresh Air

Posted 07 Apr 2011 / 0

Today’s episode of Fresh Air with Terry Gross featured a nice interview with Ellen Prager, a marine biologist who just published a book entitled Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime: The Oceans’ Oddest Creatures and Why They Matter. The Fresh Air segment, “Under the Sea, Sex Is Slimy Business“, covered a number of really interesting marine Read More

Marine Ecosystems, Radio & Podcasts, Sex and Reproduction

The beginning of sex as we know it

Posted 20 Jan 2011 / 0

This month’s edition of Scientific American features a cover article entitled “Dawn of the Deed” by John A. Long. Long describes how fossil discoveries he and his colleagues made several years ago have changed the way we understand the evolution of copulation. While there has long been evidence that the sharks have practiced internal fertilization Read More

Adaptation, Paleonotology, Sex and Reproduction