Scientists have discovered that female chickens have a remarkable ability to choose the father of their eggs.Wily hens have evolved the ability to eject the sperm of unsuitable mates say researchers working with Swedish birds.
Promiscuous roosters try to ensure that their genes are passed on by mating with as many females as possible.
But by removing the genetic material of males they consider socially inferior, the hens have managed to retain control of paternity.
Many species ranging from zebras to insects use the strategy of sperm ejection - but the evolutionary ideas behind it are often uncertain.
Among birds, male Dunnocks force females to eject the sperm of other suitors in order to protect their own genes.
But this research indicates that among chickens the battle of the sexes seems to be all about female empowerment. Keep Reading at BBC
