Sie sind auf Seite 1von 2

Alex Bracken

26 March 2013
BSC 2011
Swanson
Complete VS Incomplete Metamorphosis and their Advantages
!

All insects go through a process of changing from a larval to an adult stage in a

relatively quick and abrupt process that is referred to as metamorphosis. Depending on


its species, an insect will go through either complete or incomplete metamorphosis.
Most insects (about 9 out of 10) go through complete metamorphosis, which is
characterized by four main stages of life. The first is the egg stage, where the organism
then hatches and enters the larval stage. During this period of life, the organism looks
nothing like it will when it becomes an adult; most larval stages are worm-like and their
primary goals are to eat and grow quickly. After a certain period of time, hormones
trigger the larval organism to enter a pupal stage, where it surrounds itself with a
cocoon and lays dormant for several days to months. No nutrition is taken in, and the
organism changes dramatically while in its cocoon. When it emerges, it is considered
an adult organism that looks nothing like it did when it was in its larval stage. Its
primary goal as an adult is to survive long enough to reproduce. Additionally, about 1 in
10 insects goes through incomplete metamorphosis, which has three stages. First is the
egg, which hatches and the organism that emerges is considered a nymph. During this
stage, the insect looks like a small, wingless version of its adult stage; it will shed its
exoskeleton multiple times as it grows. Eventually the nymph will be considered an adult
when it has reached its full size and grown its wings.
!

What exactly would be the evolutionary advantage for insects to go through

metamorphosis? The main hypothesis I can come up with is the division of resources
and environments. The larval and adult stages of these insects have completely
different requirements, and thus an environment can support many more organisms. I
also think this division allows for specialization and efficiency; the larval stage can be
more tuned in and focused on growth and nutrient consumption, while the adult stage
can be more focused on reproduction. By tailoring each stage to an organisms specific
needs, they can be much more efficient and increase their chances of survival.

Sources:
Jabr, Ferris. "How Did Insect Metamorphosis Evolve?." Scientific American. N.p., 10 8
2012. Web. 22 Mar 2013. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?
Mosbacker, Linda. "Insects-Metamorphosis." Utah Education Network. UEN. Web. 22
Mar 2013. <http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_activity.cgi?
activity_id=2024>.

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen