On Mon, Jan 26, 2004 at 07:06:59PM -0800, Philip Hart wrote: > > I think sperm in general are parasite gametes in the sexual process; > > some thought is that the original sexual gametes would have been 'fair', > > or equal in size, but it makes sense for one half to cheat and make lots > > of smaller gametes and off the race goes. The same logic should > > probably apply to actual males, except when offset by > > competition-for-mating issues, which turns out to be pretty often. > > The argument in Matt Ridley's _The Red Queen_ has it that sperm are small > because of selfish gene effects between the X and Y chromosome and the > female mitochondria genes fighting for dominance or something - and maybe > something having to do with parasitism. Maybe time for a reread. I should be clear: I didn't mean that sperm came from some external parasite, just that they're being selfish, putting most of the work of reproduction onto the egg. I think there's reason for the sex-determining chromosome (Y in humans) to be selfish and small. However, that isn't linked to males -- in birds females are XW and males are XX. -xx- Damien X-)