Bald eagle

Fantasy Fact: Dragons engaged in dramatic courtship displays, where the male and female locked talons and plunged to the earth in a blaze of fire while mating.

Scientific Inspiration: In most species of animal, females generally have a greater investment in their offspring than males, in terms of time and energy, so it is in their interests to select the best male available. A male’s investment in his offspring can be slight — sometimes as little as a few sperm. So it is not surprising that females are often extremely selective when picking a mate — and that males often compete with each other in elaborate courtship rituals to impress a choosy female. Essentially, a male needs to demonstrate that he is the genetically fittest around, and that any offspring he sires will have the best chance of success.

Males can exaggerate their fitness: a particularly showy male may not actually be the strongest, merely the most gaudy. But sometimes the courtship rituals demanded by the female are probably a true demonstration of physical ability. One of the most dramatic is the mating flight that occurs at the climax of the courtship of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). High in the air, the male and female dive and pirouette around each other, before locking talons and plummeting in a spiraling free fall, separating just before they crash into the ground — a real test of extreme aerobatic skill. It is a relief to know that after this ordeal, bald eagles generally pair off for life.