Living with a female mouse can extend the reproductive life of a male mouse by as much as 20 percent, according to a study by Dr. Ralph Brinster and researchers at Penn Vet. The study appears on-line in Biology of Reproduction.

The researchers hypothesize that the female's effect on the environment of the spermatogonial stem cells likely occurs through the male’s endocrine and nervous systems, but other systems are likely involved. The change amounts to a reduction of fertility six months earlier in “lonely” mice as opposed to those who have female companionship.

The results have significant implications for the maintenance of male fertility in wildlife, livestock and even human populations. MORE>>