Saturday, December 01, 2007

What are little boys made of?

Sugar, and spice, and everything nice? Well, at least the sugar part if the baby boy happens to be a mouse.

South African scientists found that the higher the blood sugar in mama mice, the greater chance that their little darlings would be males. In species whose males play the field, mating with more than one female, researchers theorize that it is advantageous for healthy moms (bigger and better fed and therefore with higher blood sugar) to have more sons. These strapping lads could sow their seed amongst a bunch of weak females whose sorry little mothers were skinny things with low blood sugar. Weak males, on the other hand, generally don't score at all. Thus, sugar mommies make more sugar daddies which is good for the future of the murine race.

Any particular relevance here for pre-diabetic men and their possible predisposition to produce male heirs? No, but this was just an interesting little bit of science to share.

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