Female baboons' bodies can 'screen out' unsuitable sperm - study
Scientists have found that the bodies of female baboons can affect the likelihood of fertilisation after mating. Biological processes reduce the chances of sperm from genetically similar males. This is important because it helps to better understand the mechanisms of reproduction and genetic diversity.
It's about hidden physiological processes.
Details
The study was conducted on a group of 13 baboons - nine females and four males.
Scientists studied how the organism of females reacts to the sperm of different partners.
They found that after mating, the conditions in the vagina change:
- if the partner is genetically similar, the environment becomes more acidic
- which reduces the survival rate of sperm
- with genetically more "different" partners, the conditions remain more favourable
In addition, there were changes in gene activity.
This was particularly true of the immune system:
- with an "unsuitable" partner, the inflammatory response increased
- mechanisms that could prevent fertilisation were activated
During the period of maximum fertility, on the contrary, immune activity decreased to allow sperm to survive.
Why it matters
The results show that reproduction is a more complex process than just mating.
The scientists note:
- the body can influence the likelihood of conception
- genetic compatibility plays an important role
- such mechanisms may favour genetic diversity
This is about physiological reactions, not "conscious choice".
Background
This mechanism is known as cryptic female choice.
It has previously been observed in small animals, but there is limited data in primates.
Source
The study is based on analysis of physiological and genetic responses in 13 baboons after mating, including measurements of pH and gene activity. The work is published in PLOS Biology (2026).
Maria Grynevych, project manager, journalist, co-author of Guidebook Sacred Mountains of the Dnieper Region, Lecture Course: Cult Topography of the Middle Dnieper Region.
Related news
Scientists have explored the glacier on the summit of Mount Ararat for the first time
Scientists have discovered a potential antidote to snake bites in the blood of snakes themselves
Traces of inbreeding have been found in the bones of sabre-toothed tigers
Why did Portugal’s giant bears gradually shrink to almost half their original size?
Popular news
A gold tiara found in a woman’s tomb has astonished archaeologists
Ukrainian security services have been recognised as among the best intelligence services in Europe – L'Express
Irina Levchenko, the abducted Ukrainian journalist, has been transferred to the Donetsk remand centre: what is known
News about war
The UN has reported a sharp rise in the number of Ukrainian civilians killed as a result of the war
3 July has been declared a day of mourning in Kyiv. The number of dead and injured is rising
