《科學》（Science）報道,，澳大利亞海洋研究所（AIMS）的科學家日前發(fā)現(xiàn),，當惡劣氣候襲擊來時，大堡礁珊瑚的后代在落腳及成熟前,，能自行進行基因復制,，脆弱的胚胎并不會全數(shù)隨著大浪襲來而死去。
  
珊瑚通常透過生殖進行繁衍,，脆弱的卵子會在被釋出至大海之前或之后受精,，接著隨著海浪漂至新棲息地。研究結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn),，大海若出現(xiàn)風暴等惡劣氣候,，珊瑚后代能夠自我復制，而不會就此支離破碎,。
  
科研人員原先認為,，珊瑚胚胎如果遭遇海浪沖散，可能無法孵化成幼蟲,，但經(jīng)過調(diào)查后發(fā)現(xiàn)遭沖散的胚胎有很大一部分得以成功復制出較小且能存活的胚胎,。這些復制胚胎可正常孵化成珊瑚幼蟲，最終蛻變成珊瑚蟲,。研究人員認為很可能是缺乏細胞膜保護的珊瑚受精卵,，確保了珊瑚的繁衍。(生物谷：Bioon.com)

doi:10.1126/science.1216055
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Turbulence, Cleavage, and the Naked Embryo: A Case for Coral Clones

A. J. Heyward, A. P. Negri

After mass spawning events, coral embryos, lacking the protective capsule of other metazoans, are directly exposed to the environment at the ocean surface. Here, we present evidence that modest turbulence disrupts the integrity of these embryos, which fragment into totipotent cells that develop into proportionately smaller functional larvae. The level of turbulence required to fragment coral embryos can be generated from small wind-generated waves, which occur frequently during coral spawning on the Great Barrier Reef. The formation of planktonic coral clones, through natural embryo fragmentation of broadcast spawn, is a previously unknown mode of reproduction in the animal kingdom.