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Related Experiment Videos

Predators induce cloning in echinoderm larvae.

Dawn Vaughn1, Richard R Strathmann

  • 1Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, 620 University Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA. dvaughn@u.washington.edu

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|March 15, 2008
PubMed
Summary
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Sand dollar larvae clone to avoid predators, a new defense strategy. These predator-induced clones are smaller, potentially offering an advantage against visual threats.

Area of Science:

  • Marine Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Asexual reproduction, or cloning, is common in plants and animals.
  • Larval cloning in echinoderms is known, but typically triggered by favorable conditions.
  • Predator cues have not been widely recognized as a trigger for larval cloning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate novel ecological triggers for larval cloning in echinoderms.
  • To determine if predator presence influences asexual reproduction in sand dollars.
  • To assess the characteristics of predator-induced clones.

Main Methods:

  • Observing sand dollar (Dendraster excentricus) larvae.
  • Exposing larvae to predator cues.
  • Comparing size and characteristics of cloned versus uncloned larvae.

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Main Results:

  • Sand dollar larvae were observed to clone in response to predator cues.
  • Larvae produced via predator-induced cloning were smaller than those that did not clone.
  • This suggests a potential anti-predator adaptation.

Conclusions:

  • Predator-induced cloning represents a new ecological context for asexual reproduction.
  • Rapid size reduction via cloning may serve as a defense mechanism against visual predators.
  • This finding expands the known triggers and adaptive roles of asexual reproduction in marine invertebrates.