Little animals spread sperm for smelly mosses

Sex-specific odors may entice springtails to kick off fertilization

Mosses really may be getting a reproductive boost by luring tiny animals to deliver plant sperm.

Tiny springtails (white) preferred the scent of female mosses over males in a new study. Rocky Cookus/Portland State Univ.

Male moss plants don’t make pollen, but instead send sperm off to try to swim through dew to find a female moss.