Friday, March 23, 2007

just in case you were depressed about your sex life


Having a dry spell? How about one that lasts for 100 million years? Bdelloid rotifers are apparently the oldest (evolutionarily) species that has reproduced solely by asexual means and has still managed to evolve into multiple fit species; it was previously believed that asexual creatures could evolve through random mutation, but "only into one species and at the cost of its original form." These gross-looking little guys (inset) attach to different parts of water lice; different species have evolved different jaw shapes to ideally exist on a particular part of the louse's body.

And to think...they don't even have porn (!)

1 comment:

Scott said...

One of the most famous researchers on rotifers? Matt Meselson. From semi-conservative DNA replication to sexually conservative organisms....