FISH HAVE DEADBEAT DADS TOO

FISH HAVE DEADBEAT DADS TOO

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (Wireless Flash) – Deadbeat dads don’t just come in human form – they’re also found in the fish world. Using the same genetic tests as in human paternity cases, scientists at Purdue University have confirmed that some male fresh water fish will fertilize eggs from nests protected by other males, then swim off – leaving the primary male to raise the eggs as his own. Even worse, Professor Andrew DeWoody says the study shows the dad who raises the offspring couldn’t distinguish his own kin from the deadbeat dad’s. DeWoody says the implication is that other animals may not be able to instinctively recognize their own kin either.

Thu 07-26-01