Recent studies show that the
domestic silk moths have a limited perception of environmental odors compared
to the wild silk moths in the environment. Comparing both Bombyx mori (domestic silk moth) and Bombyx mandaria (wild silk moth), scientists from the Max Planck
Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany have found that the domestication of
the silk moths has caused a loss in functions of natural processes.
The certain silk moth that is used
for domestic silk for 5000 years, Bombyx
mori, is showing that it has lost its camouflage color and its ability to
fly. After years of domestic breeding, the silk moth has shown significant
impairment in the olfactory responses in the Bombyx mori olfactory functions. Scientists from the Max Planck
Institute for Chemical Ecology believe that it is due to the domestication of
about 5000 years of these silk moths.
Along with the color loss and the
ability to fly diminished, when compared to the Bombyx mandaria, the Bombyx
mori is showing that perception of odors is reduced as well. This causes a
reduction to finding the host plant, mulberry tree. When a morphological
analysis was done, it showed that the sensilla on the Bombyx mori was greatly reduced on females than to Bombyx mandaria.
Unlike in humans and other mammals,
the female moth determines the sex of its offspring. While the sensilla are
greatly reduced on the females, this could be due to not being needed anymore.
The males and the mulberry trees are brought right to the silk moths when
domesticated. Therefore the use of the sensilla to find the trees and the mates
becomes useless. Same with the loss off
color pigmentation and the ability to fly. The silk moths do not need to camouflage
themselves anymore because they are being protected in domestication. There is
no one hunting them therefore they can breed freely and not worry about hiding
from predators. This is also seen with the ability to fly. The silk moth does
not need this ability anymore because everything is presented to them, the
food, the habitat, etc.
I never knew the silk moth's ability to fly was diminished through domestication, but it definitely makes sense. It can be assumed that the moths selected for breeding in ancient times were the ones that couldn't get away as easily IE the slower, less efficient flyers. The same can be applied to their coloration. The ones that couldn't camouflage as well were the likeliest to be captured and bred.
ReplyDeleteThumbs up!! Nice thought :)
DeleteYa i agree with Casey Ferrell, as the ancient breeders would have chosen parent lines with diminished flight and camouflage there are high possibility that the silk moths we see today are just the offspring of the less efficient flyers or "un-adaptable" strains that were easier to capture and domesticate!! Apart, the domestication may not have caused a complete loss of olfactory function. There may be innate templates that may be at play, but, not well studied or may be ignored.
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