David;-
   Seems quite logical. If some species of fresh-water Mollusks were NOT able to close up and sleep through droughts, they would have become extinct long ago---like the Democratic party.
   What is really important to us non-mollusks is what processes or chemicals enable such estivation. And can they be used to outlive cancerous tissues? At least in theory. I'd sure like to go to sleep and wake up with a new set of teeth and a decent backhand.
    Art
>
> From: bivalve <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 2004/04/19 Mon PM 07:15:37 EDT
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: estivation
>
> >   Q: 2: If desert species can last a long time during "unhealthy" times, can fresh water and Marine species also estivate to bypass bad situations?
>
> Some freshwater species can; others cannot.  Uniomerus species (which are freshwater mussels) seem able to live for at least two years on a shelf; or, in nature, in a dry creek bed for extended periods.
>
>     Dr. David Campbell
>     Old Seashells
>     University of Alabama
>     Biodiversity & Systematics
>     Dept. Biological Sciences
>     Box 870345
>     Tuscaloosa, AL  35487-0345 USA
>     [log in to unmask]
>
> That is Uncle Joe, taken in the masonic regalia of a Grand Exalted Periwinkle of the Mystic Order of Whelks-P.G. Wodehouse, Romance at Droitgate Spa
>
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