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--Apple-Mail-48-913193373 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Hi Jim, On 4-Sep-06, at 3:22 PM, Jim Wolford wrote: > Chris, Thanks for your details of this fascinating relationship > between Nicrophorus burying beetles and the "phoretic" mites -- > more complexity under the umbrella term of symbiosis (as I use it > for a wide variety of intimate relationships between species). I > think the term "phoresis" is often used to describe just using a > host species as a method of transportation. But the relationship > you described is clearly one of MUTUALISM, i.e. an interaction that > is clearly beneficial to both host and other symbiont. Some > authors would insist on the relationship being obligate for both > partners in order to qualify for mutualism, but I'm not that strict > -- if it is facultative for one or both partners, it still can be > mutualism in my mind. Facultative means not required for survival, > but beneficial when present -- vs. obligate, meaning critter will > not survive without the relationship. This relationship is an interesting one and I'm not sure how much detailed research has been done to determine exactly the degree to which both groups benefit. It does solve an important problems for the mites. Resources like dung or carrion are not that uncommon in natural environments, but their distribution tends to be scattered and sporadic and its duration is limited. That's not a problem for beetles which have chemoreceptors for decaying substances and are excellent fliers, but it is a huge problem for the tiny and flightless mites. Getting from one dead mouse to another in the forest (before it decays beyond usability) would be a great problem for mites if they had to hoof it overland (so to speak ;->) on very short legs. Hence, having the beetles to convey them (like charter aircraft) from site to site, is highly advantageous for the mites. The beetles also benefit from reduced competition but I suspect they could make do even without the assistance of the mites (but I'm just guessing). Cheers! Chris _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. _. Christopher Majka - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 3A6 (902) 424-6435 Email <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. _. --Apple-Mail-48-913193373 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 <HTML><BODY style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; = -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Jim,<DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On = 4-Sep-06, at 3:22 PM, Jim Wolford wrote:</DIV><BR = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"> Chris, = Thanks for your details of this fascinating relationship between = Nicrophorus burying beetles and the "phoretic" mites -- more complexity = under the umbrella term of symbiosis (as I use it for a wide variety of = intimate relationships between species). =A0I think the term "phoresis" = is often used to describe just using a host species as a method of = transportation. =A0But the relationship you described is clearly one of = MUTUALISM, i.e. an interaction that is clearly beneficial to both host = and other symbiont. =A0Some authors would insist on the relationship = being obligate for both partners in order to qualify for mutualism, but = I'm not that strict -- if it is facultative for one or both partners, it = still can be mutualism in my mind. =A0Facultative means not required for = survival, but beneficial when present -- vs. obligate, meaning critter = will not survive without the relationship.<BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></DIV><DIV>This = relationship is an interesting one and I'm not sure how much detailed = research has been done to determine exactly the degree to which both = groups benefit. It does solve an important problems for the mites. = Resources like dung or carrion are not that uncommon in natural = environments, but their distribution tends to be scattered and sporadic = and its duration is limited. That's not a problem for beetles which have = chemoreceptors for decaying substances and are excellent fliers, but it = is a huge problem for the tiny and flightless mites. Getting from one = dead mouse to another in the forest (before it decays beyond usability) = would be a great problem for mites if they had to hoof it overland (so = to speak ;->) on very short legs. Hence, having the beetles to convey = them (like charter aircraft) from site to site, is highly advantageous = for the mites. The beetles also benefit from reduced competition but I = suspect they could make do even without the assistance of the mites (but = I'm just guessing).</DIV><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Cheers!</DIV><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Chris</DIV><BR><DIV> <P = style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px = Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._= ._._._.</FONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT = face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Times">Christopher Majka = - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History</FONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: = 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Times">1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada<SPAN = class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>B3H 3A6</FONT></P> <P = style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Times">(902) 424-6435 <SPAN = class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>Email <<A = href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</A>></F= ONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times"= size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._= ._._._.</FONT></P> </DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>= --Apple-Mail-48-913193373--
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