![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() "The fluke castes described by our research team are genetically identical," said Hechinger. For example, worker bees and queen bees are related as sisters through sexual reproduction. ![]() The worms are produced through asexual reproduction and their relationships are even more dramatic than those among honeybees. A mature colony of this type of worm weighs 25 percent of the weight of the host snail. The snail, which is only an inch and a half long, houses thousands of worms. Kuris calls the worms parasitic "body snatchers," because they castrate the snail, making it unable to reproduce. The warrior worms attack other invasive parasites trying to invade the snail. Hechinger, assistant research biologist with UCSB's Marine Science Institute. These two types of individuals look and behave differently, explained first author Ryan F. Reproductive worms and soldier worms cooperate to grow and defend their colony within the snail. "These flukes have a strongly developed social organization, much like some insects, mammals and birds." The tiny warrior worms are only a couple of millimeters in length, yet they are powerful thanks to relatively large mouths. Kuris, professor of zoology, in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology. "We have discovered flatworms in colonies with vicious, killer morphs defending the colony," said Armand M. The findings are reported in the early online version of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have discovered a caste of genetically identical "warrior worms" –– members of a parasitic fluke species that invades the California horn snail. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |