Female of the Species Really Is More Deadly—If You're a Toxic Newt
Scientists discovered that toxins seeping through the skin of newts found in the Pacific are more powerful in females.
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Scientists discovered that toxins seeping through the skin of newts found in the Pacific are more powerful in females.
Tetrodotoxin is more than a poison. It may also be a mating signal.
<p>Newts of the genus <em>Taricha </em>produce tetrodotoxin, a powerful neurotoxin. Previously, scientists thought this was purely a chemical defense against predators, but they didn’t know how it was produced or how it might vary between males and females — important information for understanding the toxin’s functions. Researchers sampled wild newts to test for differences between the sexes and how these might vary over the breeding season. They found that females have consistently higher levels of toxins than males.</p>
Tetrodotoxin is more than a poison. It may also be a mating signal.
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