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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
Summary
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.
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.
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