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Diapause is an event of great ecological significance in the lives
of a wide range of invertebrates. The underlying physiological and
genetic mechanisms pose many intriguing questions and have
important evolutionary implications. Some of the most dramatic
examples of diapause are provided by crustaceans. Most branchiopods
produce resting eggs that can withstand intense desiccation and
extremes of temperature and pressure far beyond those to which they
are ever subjected in nature. Furthermore they can remain in a dry
condition, displaying no measurable metabolism, for many years.
Such abilities enable them to inhabit infrequently-filled pools in
arid regions. When the pools fill with water these dormant eggs
hatch and give rise to animals that grow quickly to maturity and
produce a new generation of resting eggs. There is every reason to
believe that primitive branchiopods have employed diapause in this
way since Palaeozoic times and that their abilities in this
direction have played a key role in their continued success as
freshwater animals.
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