No Sex For 40 Million Years? No Problem:
A group of organisms that has never had sex in over 40 million years of existence has nevertheless managed to evolve into distinct species, says new research published today. The study challenges the assumption that sex is necessary for organisms to diversify and provides scientists with new insight into why species evolve in the first place.
The research, published in PLoS Biology, focuses on the study of bdelloid rotifers, microscopic aquatic animals that live in watery or occasionally wet habitats including ponds, rivers, soils, and on mosses and lichens. These tiny asexual creatures multiply by producing eggs that are genetic clones of the mother -- there are no males. Fossil records and molecular data show that bdelloid rotifers have been around for over 40 million years without sexually reproducing, and yet this new study has shown that they have evolved into distinct species.
Ever since I saw that "No Sex For 40 Million Years" headline this morning, I've been trying to think of a good "abstinince only" joke to go with it, but I'm stumped.
This was my favorite lecturing joke, though I was saying "65 millions years without sex!" at that time (yep, some update is needed). Students were always listening back after the joke. It was really worth the minute when students realized about it and the whole room started vibrating...
"I've no problems with abstinence until marriage. It's the "no same sex marriage" legislation that really sucks."