Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
Published on: August 22, 2013
MORE AND LESS THAN EQUAL: How Men Factor in the Reproductive Equation
Rene Almeling1, Miranda R Waggoner2
1Yale University, USA.
Abstract:
In both social science and medicine, research on reproduction generally focuses on women. In this article, we examine how men's reproductive contributions are understood. We develop an analytic framework that brings together Cynthia Daniels' conceptualization of reproductive masculinity (2006) with a staged view of reproduction, where the stages include the period before conception, conception, gestation, and birth. Drawing on data from two medical sites that are oriented to the period before pregnancy (preconception health care and sperm banks), we examine how gendered knowledge about reproduction produces different reproductive equations in different stages of the reproductive process. We conclude with a new research agenda that emerges from rethinking the role of men and masculinity in reproduction.
Related Concept Videos
The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female...
Natural Selection and Mating Preferences
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing,...
Mate Choice
Dosage Compensation
In addition to sexual development, the X chromosome has genes involved in autosomal functions such as brain development and the immune system. Therefore, males and females with distinct numbers of X chromosomes will...
Inclusive Fitness
Equivalent Couples
Two couples are considered to be equivalent if they produce the same rotational effect on a rigid body. In other words, the two couples have the same magnitude and act in the same direction, causing the same angular displacement or acceleration in the body.
For instance, consider two couples lying in the plane of the page, with one having a pair of equal...

