An anonymous reader writes "Male seed beetles have barbed penises that damage females, decreasing their life expectancy. A new study now provides evidence that the curious trait exists to increase chances of fertilisation.
"This is a new piece of the puzzle as in what's in it for males," said study co-author Göran Arnqvist. "Harming a mate is clearly not a good idea, so there must be some benefits."
Genital barbs are found in many insects and some snakes and lizards, and in those species the female reproductive tract can be left scarred and injured." Link to Original Source
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