Host:
Welcome to another exciting
edition of The Mating Game, where successful reproduction is what it's all
about! We all know that choosing the right partner helps you pass your genes
on to the next generation, but choosing the wrong one can send you straight
down an evolutionary dead end! I'm Larry, your host on The Mating Game.
Are you ready to play?
Follow along as each contestant asks three hidden bachelors or bachelorettes
a set of questions, in hopes of identifying that special someone. Believe me,
we're bound to see some pretty memorable pairings, so let's get started and
see who has the eyes and ears for reproductive success, and who will surely
never risk a blind date again. Scroll down to begin, or check out the Dating
and Mating Gallery to learn more about our players. |
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Round 1
Meet the contestant:
Darren, the great crested grebe
(Podiceps cristatus)
Host: Welcome to
another exciting edition of The Mating Game, where successful
reproduction is what it's all about! We all know that choosing the
right partner helps you pass your genes on to the next generation,
but choosing the wrong one can send you straight down an evolutionary
dead end! I'm Larry, your host on The Mating Game.
Our first contestant is Darren, a three-year-old great crested grebe visiting us here from his pond in
Bavaria. Tell us a bit about yourself Darren.
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Darren: Well,
like you said, Larry, I'm a great crested
grebe. I guess I'd call myself a romantic -- I'm really
looking for that one special female. I'm a good dancer, I
love giving gifts, and I hope to someday build a great little
nest with that special someone! |
Host: We all know
how important it is to get one's genes
into the next generation. For Darren and other grebes that
requires a strong pair bond: a reproductive pact between the
male and female that is solidified through ritualized activities
such as dancing, gift giving, and nest building. These activities
help ensure that each mate is fully committed to raising and
protecting the young. Darren may be a romantic, but that doesn't
mean he's impractical.
Darren, behind each of the three curtains before you sits
a different creature -- but only one of them is the female
great crested grebe of your dreams! Since you seem very
discriminating in your tastes, you shouldn't have much difficulty
distinguishing a fellow grebe from another species. But ask your
questions wisely -- you may have more in common with another
species than you think!
The game:
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Question 1: |
What would a dream suitor bring to you on a first date?
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Bachelorette #1: |
Bottom vegetation is always a great thrill. |
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Bachelorette #2: |
I'm interested in the suitor, not the gift. If I
could find someone who would just latch on and never let
go, I'd be ecstatic. |
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Bachelorette #3: |
You know, I don't really date much, so ... I don't have
any idea. |
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Question 2: |
If we were to have children, how many would you
hope to have?
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Bachelorette #1: |
Per year? Six. |
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Bachelorette #2: |
Several hundred would be a dream come true. |
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Bachelorette #3: |
I haven't thought much about children, per se, but
I guess 6,000 would be a successful year. |
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Question 3: |
If I pick you, where do you see us in a year?
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Bachelorette #1: |
We'll be together, hopefully, but it depends a bit
on how well things go between us this year. |
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Bachelorette #2: |
Inseparable. For as long as we live. |
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Bachelorette #3: |
Frankly, I don't see the two of us meaning any more
to one another in a year than we do now. That's not good
or bad, just the way it is. |
The choice:
Host: Okay, Darren, it's time to choose.
Do you want to review the answers? Do you know which is your
dream mate? When you're ready, click on the curtain to reveal
your choice.
Whoa! Darren's choice is Bachelorette Number Two. That's a surprise
to some of us, I'll bet. Let's see if Darren is surprised. Ready
to meet your mystery date? Not so fast. First, let's meet the
bachelorettes you passed up.
Meet the bachelorettes:
Host: Darren, this is difficult for me to tell you. Bachelorette
Number One is Stephanie, a four-year-old great crested grebe. Like you,
Stephanie is interested in forming a strong pair bond. She enjoys
intricate courtship dances and loves to receive gifts of aquatic
vegetation. I'm sorry she wasn't your Mating Game choice. Stephanie,
as a parting gift we have a beautiful floating nest platform for you --
you'll never suffer a flooded nest again. Thank you for coming.
Now let's meet Chris, a lovely purple tube sponge. As beautiful
as Chris is to look at, I think you'd agree, Darren, she's not quite
the match for you. In fact, she's not even a fellow vertebrate, so
that pretty much eliminates the chance of anything happening between
the two of you reproductively. Also, Chris knows nothing about
courtship: She reproduces by spilling thousands of eggs into the
surrounding water and hoping that some of them will meet up with
another sponge's sperm. Darren's weed dance would be completely lost
on her! Thanks for uprooting yourself, though, Chris so that you could
join us here today.
Now, let's meet your mystery date, Darren. You chose Bachelorette
Number Two, a ... um ... beautiful blackdevil anglerfish named Emily. It's not the
perfect match, obviously. Aside from the fact that you're different
species and have no hope of breeding successfully, Emily is looking
for a mate who's nearly completely dependent upon her -- rather
parasite-like if you know what I mean. Yes, it's clear you're looking
for a strong pair bond, Darren, but Emily may be a bit extreme even
for you! You do both share a taste for fish, however and you're going
to get a lot of that on your Mating Game vacation to Acapulco, Mexico.
Have fun and good luck to both of you!
-> Go to Round 2
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