Why Should the Male Gender Exist in Nature?

Considering that in most animal species the only role of the male gender in reproduction is to provide sperm, biologists have always pondered why the evolutionary selection of animals has mercilessly allowed the male gender to continue to exist. According to Reuters, a group of British scientists has now found an answer to this puzzle. They believe that the male gender is necessary for a process known as 'sexual selection,' through which animals prevent the spread of disease and avoid extinction. Some scientists had previously stated that a reproductive method without sexual intercourse, such as those with entirely female populations, would be more successful in producing offspring. However, in this new scientific study published in the latest issue of the journal 'Nature,' it is stated that in the process of 'sexual selection,' where males compete to be chosen by females, the quality of genes and the health of subsequent generations improve. For this reason, the existence of the male gender is very important. In the absence of the 'sexual selection' process and if mating and competition for it do not exist, the genetic quality of animal generations weakens, thereby increasing the risk of their extinction. Professor Matt Gage, the lead researcher from the University of East Anglia in the UK, states: 'Competition among males for reproduction has a very important advantage as it improves the genetic health of future generations.' He added: 'The process of sexual selection acts as a filter, helping future generations to thrive and avoiding the extinction of animal species by eliminating harmful genetic mutations.' The report reminds us that almost all multicellular organisms reproduce through sexual reproduction. However, according to Professor Matt Gage, the existence and survival of this method cannot be simply explained, as mating or sex has its drawbacks. For example, only half of the offspring that are female will be able to reproduce again. He states: 'The question is, why do organisms expend all their efforts to produce the male gender?' This research group bred a type of nocturnal beetle in the laboratory for 10 years and closely observed their behavior during the sexual selection process. At certain points, the sexual selection process was accompanied by intense competition, with, for example, 90 male beetles competing for 10 female beetles. At other times, the number of males and females was equal, resulting in no competition among males and females having no opportunity to choose. After seven years of studying these beetles, equivalent to 50 generations of reproduction of these insects, scientists found that the generations produced as a result of stronger competition in sexual selection were healthier and more resistant to the risk of extinction. However, those beetles that were the product of reproduction during periods without competition or weak competition in sexual selection were very weak against the dangers of inbreeding and completely went extinct after ten generations.