lf you think some couples make war not love just wait 'til you see the battle of the sexes that takes place in the natural world. We're counting down the top ten most extreme partnership power struggles in the animal kingdom and comparing them to our own rocky relationships. Discover that there are reasons why males and females seem to come from different planets when the battle of the sexes is taken to the Most Extreme.
Earth is a planet of extremes Extreme places And extreme animals. But some animals are more extreme than others. Join us as we countdown to find The Most unusual The Most extraordinary.
The Most Extreme No. 10
Our countdown begins with a big brute lording over a harem of females. After all this is the stereotypical view of relationships in the animal kingdom. But as we'll see there are plenty of other ways to seize power in the battle of the sexes. lt's just that in the natural world brutes don't get much bigger than a bull elephant seal. On the islands of the sub-Antarctic this male reigns supreme by throwing his weight around all two tons of it. The bulls are fighting to become the beachmaster. Only one male will win breeding rights to whatever females around his stretch of beach.
The beachmaster's harem can contain over 100 females that come ashore to give birth. But now that their pups are nearly weaned the battle of the sexes begins. The beachmaster demands a payment from each and every female within his territory. And it's hard to stop this blubbery bully when he's intent on making babies. As if nursing and round-the-clock babysitting isn't enough for female elephant seals the beach master constantly crashes around making sure that none of the harem strays out of his reach. And since a bull can be more than five times the weight of a female his affections can be suffocating.
The elephant seal is number ten in the countdown because there's no stopping his amorous advances. He's so single minded that he can crush and kill any unfortunate pup that gets in his way. lt seems that it's easy to win the battle of the sexes when you're so much bigger than your mate. Just like the elephant seal there are size differences between male and female humans. On average men are about 15% bigger than women. And there are other physical differences between the sexes. lt seems that men and woman actually think differently thanks to the hardwiring of the circuits inside our brain. The human brain is divided into two separate hemispheres connected by the fibres of the corpus callosum.
The way we use the left and right hemispheres influences the way we think. The male brain is structured so that the left side is used for language and the right hand side is used for emotion. But things are very different for females because their fibres connecting the brain's two hemispheres are 23% thicker than in the male brain. Women are able to use both the right and left hemispheres for emotion and language which may explain why women find it much easier to talk about their feelings. So girls if you can't get your man to talk about his feelings - don't get mad: it's all in his head. But the male elephant seal has only one thing on his mind. And the female doesn't care about his feelings.
Having weaned her pup and mated with the beachmaster it's time for her to head back to sea. The only problem is that she now has to run the gauntlet of frustrated bachelors. These bulls weren't tough enough to beat the beachmaster but they're still more than a match for the females. Women's lib is a long way off for the elephant seal. Because the females typically only mate with the biggest meanest males all their aggressive characteristics will be passed on to their male pups. So until the females choose to mate with kinder gentler males this is one battle of the sexes where
the girls will always take a beating.
No. 9
Some women are attracted to tall men. After all having a big burly guy around can make a girl feel safe and protected. ln Africa the attraction of opposite sizes is taken to the extreme. The male shell brooding cichlid fish may only be about 10 centimetres long but compared to his 3 millimetre mate he's proportionately the biggest male in the world. lf humans were the same relative sizes as male and female cichlids it would be like a big guy weighing say 80 kilograms dating a woman who was only one thirtieth of his sizeI that's little more than 2 kilograms!
The male cichlid has to be big because he needs to build an apartment complex for a harem of up to 30 females. Each snail shell he collects will be home for one tiny female and her eggs. The male cichlid is number nine in the countdown because he's so dominant that he can keep his women in convenient carry cases!. The tiny females lay their eggs inside the shells. Then the huge male hovers over them showering them in sperms. The bigger the male the better his chances of protecting his harem from groups of marauding bachelors. They'll try to rain on his parade by leaving their own sperm in a shell.
There once was a time when human females were also expected to stay indoors and bring up the kids. ln victorian England just like the cichlid a women's place was in the home. That was until
militant suffragettes went to battle for a woman's right to vote. Their violent protests included cutting telegraph wires breaking windows and burning houses. They even sacrificed themselves for the cause I literally-when Emily Davidson threw herself in front of the King's racehorse in the 1913 Derby. lt wasn't until the First World War that women really started to come out of their shells. They contributed so much to the war effort that they won the vote in both England and the US.
Women became part of the workforce and they've never left it since. But 100 years after the suffragettes women may now be suffering from another kind of oppression. Some working women feel that it's too hard trying to balance full time jobs with bringing up children. Women are now twice as likely to suffer from depression and some researchers suggest it's due to stress. So will the next battle for the women's movement be a fight for less stress?
But the female cichlid doesn't stress because she's safe inside her shell. And sometimes she has company because not all male cichlids are big and bold. Some tiny males disguise themselves
in female colours so they can sneak past the big male. Once inside the shell they can make babies with the female. But once you move in together you have to share the housework - unlike our next contender!. We've seen big bullies on the beach. And girls that never come out of their shells. But as the countdown continues the females fight back but are they strong enough to give the King of the Jungle a fright? And later we'll discover that there's no love lost when you're on a dinner date with a she-devil. That's coming up on. The Most Extreme
The Most Extreme No. 8
On the plains of Africa where some of the biggest predators on the planet roam it pays to have a bodyguard. But in the animal world protection doesn't come cheap-even when you're the King of The Jungle. The lion is number eight in the countdown because his pride is a group of girls that wait on him hand and foot. Lions are the only social cats on the planet living in groups of up to 30 individuals. A pride of lions is mostly made up of related females and their cubs with a few males who act as body guards. The girls do all the childcare even nursing each other's babies.
Occasionally the males do a little babysitting. The male lions are left guarding the cubs because the females have gone off to get the groceries. The lion is number eight in the countdown becausehe seems like the ultimate male chauvinist. He's perfectly capable of hunting for himself as a bachelor but once he starts shacking up with the pride he expects the ladies to bring home the bacon.
And once they do the male gets first dibs at the dinner table. When a male gets to the kill everyone moves over until he's had his fill. The male lion seems to have it easy leaving the lionesses to do all the work. And just like lions for the majority of women in 1950 it was a full time job just looking after the man of the house.
Recent surveys have found that 73% of American mothers are now in paid employment and yet they're still doing most of the housework. On average men still only carry out 37% of the domestic duties. But if they need an added incentive it seems that men who make their bed can lay in it too. According to a survey by the lnstitute for Social Research husbands who do more household chores report a much better sex life because their wives are less tired at night. lf that's the case Swedish men should be the most satisfied.
Swedish men do the most housework - with 24 hours each week. American males do about 16 hours while. Japanese men do the least at only 4 hours a week. But the male lion can't get too comfortable. The queens of the jungle keep him around for a reason. His job is to protect the pride from intruders like hyenas and more importantly other male lions. Roaming the fringes of their territory are bachelors that would gladly kill for a chance to lead the pride. They'll attack the resident male and his offspring. This is why the females let the males have such an easy existence.
lf the father of the pride's cubs isn't strong all their babies will die. Rival males are only interested in protecting offspring that they have fathered. lf the bachelors are successful and take over the pride their reward for killing all the cubs is sex. As soon as a lioness stops nursing she quickly comes into heat. And the new males are anxious to get their family started. For both the males and females it's a race against time to get cubs reared before a new male comes in and takes over. lt turns out that this changing of the guard is probably good for lions. lf new males come in and father cubs every few years it broadens the pride's gene pool.
So while the females may appear to be doing all the housework in the relationship lionesses usually live much longer than the warring males. lt's the first sign that
in the battle of the sexes the girls are starting to fight back.
So far we've seen males shelling out for the little woman and dads that do nothing around the house but still to come is a mom that's no angel especially since she's living
with a real little devil. And later what animal's domestic dispute echoes across the plains of Africa? Find out next on The Most Extreme.
The Most Extreme No. 7.
For some couples it seems like all they know how to do is fight. And the animals coming in at number seven in the countdown have taken the battle into the bedroom. The forests of Tasmania are filled with the love songs of the devil. The Tasmanian devil is normally a solitary creature.
And it's no wonder considering its smelly habit of feasting on rotten carcasses. So when a female's preparing to breed she's not looking for Mr Right. These branches will serve as bedding in a burrow that's far from being a love nest.
Things get rough when you have to mate with the devil which is why she's grown a thick
layer of fat around her neck to protect her from the upcoming battle. lt's not long before a bachelor has sniffed her out. But if he wants to mate with her he has to have a show-down with a she-devil.
The Tasmanian devil is number seven in the countdown because their burrow is hell on earth!. Once he's bitten her into submission she succumbs to his advances and they mate. As well as being violent this male is obsessively protective. He's so paranoid that
he blocks the entrance of the den - so she can't leave and no other male can get in.
As soon as he lowers his guard she'll attempt an escape lt's time to show her who's boss. The male keeps her locked up so tight that she can't even go out and eat
when he's around. The Tasmanian devil likes to keep his woman barefoot pregnant and
in the bedroom. Just like another male chauvinist. One famous battle of the sexes
took place on a tennis court back in 1973.
On one side was the self-described male chauvinist Bobby Riggs. All l know is l want to keep women barefoot pregnant and in the bedroom and the kitchen. He was up against the then women's tennis champion Billie Jean King. The women's movement is really making a better life for more people other than just women.
This isn't just a tennis match-this is a battle of the sexes. The Houston Astrodome was filled with over 30 000 people and another 50 million tuned in at home to see male chauvinism in America being dealt a crushing blow by Billie Jean King's deadly backhand.
And in the Devil's den now it's the female's turn to serve for the match. After three days of violent mating the honeymoon is over. Now it's a fight to get him out of the house - for good. ln this battle of the sexes the female is the winner - leaving the male to roam the forest alone. He succeeded in making her pregnant but she'd rather rear the kids
alone than tolerate him any longer just like the next contender.
No. 6
Charging in to number six in the countdown is the biggest and baddest animal in Africa. There's nothing tougher than a bull elephant. He can be five tons of raging testosterone. But there is one animal that's capable of controlling his every move and that's a female elephant.
Roaming around in big groups of females and living in a matriarchal society presents a girl with a problem: it's hard to get a date. So when a female elephant goes into heat she advertises. She sends out a deep rumble using low frequency vibrations formed when air is passed through her nasal cavities.
That's why in good conditions bulls more than 10 kilometres away can hear her calling his name. lf she's going to find a suitable mate she wants to choose the biggest and best.
So she's throwing a party and every boy in town is invited. All males will stop to listen to her call but only a few will be in breeding condition.
These males will seek the source of the love song because they're flushed with testosterone and looking for action. Testosterone makes bull elephants even more aggressive and volatile. They have to be tough in order to impress the female because until they've proved
themselves to be worthy she'll give them the run-around.
Human testosterone levels also fluctuate when we meet a mate. lt's as if nature wants to eliminate some of the differences between men and women so that they can concentrate on
replicating the species. When a woman falls in love her testosterone levels increase.
But when a man falls in love his testosterone levels fall making him act more feminine.
lt might pay to remember this the next time you're on a date. But increased testosterone levels are vital for love-struck male elephants. lt's the boost they need to fight for the right to mate. The elephant is number six in the countdown because while the bulls are big and aggressive it's the ladies that are calling all the shots.
The female elephant encourages the males to fight until only one is left standing. That way the female finds the strongest elephant in the district and therefore the best father for her children. For the bull elephant testosterone was the fuel that powered him through one of
the biggest struggles of his life. But other males fight their battles on a daily basis ln the jungles of American cities millions of people answer the call not to mate but to work.
And from out of the chaos comes road rage. The American Automobile Association
reports that 96% of violent road rage incidents involve men. And yet contrary to popular opinion testosterone may not be at fault. Recent research suggests that the orbital region of the brain that controls aggression is bigger in women than it is in men. Both sexes have about the same ability to produce emotions like anger but the structure of a woman's brain means she's better equipped to keep the aggression in check.
The female elephant also controls aggression I but of potential mates. By manipulating males into a head on collision she's made sure that she found the best genes for her baby.
ln the battle of the sexes between elephants it pays to have both brains and brawn.
So far in the countdown the males have been fighters not lovers. But as the tables start to turn we'll discover that nice guys won't always finish last. And we'll meet a bossy queen whose throne is in the toilet. That's next on The Most Extreme.
The Most Extreme No. 5.
Things are starting to change in our countdown of the Battle of the Sexes. Because in baboon troops good girls don't always go for the bad boys. And in baboon society I there are plenty of mean males to choose from. No baboons are safe from a big male behaving badly. Not even females. Once it was thought that this kind of aggression helped a male establish dominance. But recently scientists have discovered that some males have been using more subtle tactics to win the heart of a female.
The baboon is number five in the countdown because this sensitive new-age guy doesn't
beat his chest I be baby sits! Handling a baby with care shows he can be a good father and
it gives the mother a much needed break. Babysitting may be boring - but not if it gets him the kind of attention he's looking for. A male with a baby is a real ladies' man. And while grooming her may not make her more beautiful it does make him more attractive to her!.
This is something she'll never forget because it's a case of you scratch my back and l'll scratch yours. When she goes into heat she may ignore the troop's loud bullies and quietly slip away with the kind and caring male. That's why some of these googly eyed males are learning that being nice is just as effective as battling. But there are other ways of
attracting the opposite sex. lf you don't want women to battle you just working up a sweat may be the best way to make them relax.
That's because all humans secrete pheromones as part of their natural body odour.
These chemicals send subtle messages that affect our behaviour ln one experiment
researchers took extracts from men's armpit sweat and wiped them onto women's upper lips. After six hours the women reported feeling happier and less tense. So guys if you want the ladies to relax around youI just leave the deodorant at home! But some baboons just can't relax.
When a male throws a tantrum and the girls feel pushed around they know where to go - straight into the arms of their sweet and sympathetic boyfriend. Being big and belligerent
takes its toll. Overly-aggressive baboons die younger and succumb to disease quicker
than the gentler males which could mean that bossy baboons are on the way out. But not even the nastiest baboon can dominate like the terrible queen that's up next in the countdown.
