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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications
Published on: January 19, 2018
Skeletons, noise and population growth: the end of an old debate?
Tim Coulson1, Pejman Rohani, Mercedes Pascual
1Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berks, UK, SL5 7PY. t.coulson@imperial.ac.uk
Abstract:
Population dynamics models remain largely deterministic, although the presence of random fluctuations in nature is well recognized. This deterministic approach is based on the implicit assumption that systems can be separated into a deterministic part that captures the essential features of the system and a random part that can be neglected. But is it possible, in general, to understand population dynamics without the explicit consideration of random fluctuations? Here, we suggest perhaps not, and argue that the dynamics of many systems are a result of interactions between the deterministic nonlinear skeleton and noise.
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Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...

