Male pregnancy: The dark side – by Nature Video

Male pregnancy is very rare, occurring only in seahorses, pipefish and seadragons. The female deposits her eggs in the male’s brood pouch, and the male protects and feeds the developing offspring. Are these the best dads in the animal kingdom? It seems not – new research shows that male pipefish selectively abort embryos from less attractive females, saving their resources for future, more attractive, mates. The finding reveals a dark side to male pregnancy, but it also adds to Darwin’s theory of sexual selection. Read the original research here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature08861