ABOVE: Killifish embryos that go through diapause have no ill effects later in life. © CHI-KUO HU
Rather than risk being born during the dry season when conditions are not hospitable, African killifish embryos are able to arrest their development and wait to hatch until the rainy season replenishes their pond. This can occur for a length of time that exceeds the animal’s normal lifespan with no ill effects, according to a study published today (February 21) in Science.
Diapause is the biological phenomenon that allows animals, typically insects and certain fish, to effectively hit the pause button on their lifecycle to avoid extremely adverse conditions. For African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri), this usually occurs at the embryonic stage, allowing the fish to wait until there is sufficient water to hatch.
The team found that during diapause, cells responsible for growth suspend activity and metabolism slows, but genes that code ...
