Research2 sources
Seaweeds can switch to asexual reproduction when there are no mates nearby
Phys.org ·
The Brief · written from 2 sources
- Kelp can switch between sexual and asexual reproduction depending on whether potential mates are nearby.
- The study was led by Daniel Liesner at the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Germany, with colleagues.
- The paper, published Nov. 12 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, describes life-cycle plasticity as enabling conditional asexual reproduction in a kelp.
Why it matters
It shows that a kelp's reproductive mode can respond to the local availability of mates, which helps explain how seaweeds may reproduce when populations are sparse.
Who’s affected
- biologists studying algae and seaweed reproduction
- researchers in evolution and life-cycle plasticity
- #kelp
- #seaweed
- #reproduction
- #evolution
- #life-cycle
Kelp switch between sexual and asexual reproduction depending on whether there are potential mates nearby, according to a study by Daniel Liesner at the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Germany, and colleagues, published Nov. 12 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.