TheDeparted
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The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $384,949 grant to Yale University for a study on “Sexual Conflict, Social Behavior and the Evolution of Waterfowl Genitalia” [...] The grant description says,“The project examines how reproductive morphology covaries with season, age, and social environment in a diverse sample of duck species that differ in ecology, territoriality and breeding system."
[...]
Many duck penises are cork-screw shaped and some scientists believe this is because of a form of evolution known as "sexual conflict".
NSF spokeswoman Deborah Wing told CNSNews.com the updated title of the study is "Sexual Conflict, Social Behavior and Evolution." Wing says, "The study met the criteria of the NSF panel of scientific peers as part of the grant approval process."
[...]
"The NSF strives to be good stewards of taxpayers dollars," Wing says, "Basic research often is combined with other research efforts and turns into bigger things."
"Government funded grants for research have assisted in creating the barcode and Google," Wing added.
The NSF grant abstract states, “Broader impacts of the research will be international, national, local, and personal."
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