C. Wentrup

Stability in flexibility: Shifting alliances stabilize the symbioses of marine animals over 150 million years

Many animals benefit from microbial symbionts that aid digestion, supply essential nutrients, or provide defense. When this dependence becomes obligate, as in gutless marine oligochaetes that have lost both digestive and excretory systems and rely entirely on their bacterial partners for nutrition and recycling of wast...