"Mere Presence Of Males Shortens Female's Lifespan: Yes, It's True For Roundworms"

Recently at Stanford University it was discovered that male roundworms secrete a substance that causes the female roundworms to die quickly after giving birth to their young. This is beneficial to the male in two ways. First, the large female will not be around to compete for food with the new offspring. Second, the female will not be available for other males to pass on their genes with. I also found it interesting that only 0.01 to 0.1 percent are complete males and the rest are hermaphrodites ( have both male and female reproductive organs), so the male needs every reproductive advantage it can get.

Design & Trend Article: http://www.designntrend.com/articles/9405/20131129/mere-presence-males-shortens-females-lifespan-yes-true-roundworms.htm