Mud Snail Polyploidy & Meiosis Mechanics

Genome duplication, meiotic arrest, & the C-value paradox in Potamopyrgus antipodarum

1. Karyotype & Spindle Segregation

Triploid (3n=36)
98.4%
Aneuploidy Risk
0.016
Balanced Gamete Prob
36
Total Chromosomes
Sexual Meiosis
Pairing Mode
Meiotic Arrest / Aneuploid Sterility (Requires Clonal Apomixis)
Trivalent and univalent chromosomal tangles produce unequal (n=17 / n=19) gametes, causing embryo inviability unless reproduction bypasses reduction division.

2. Geometric Scaling & Parasite Horizon

Match-Head Footprint (~3.5 mm)
1.50×
Cell Vol Scaling
9.67e6
Somatic Cell Count
Evolutionary Dynamics (Red Queen vs Muller's Ratchet):
Clonal boom followed by Muller's ratchet decay unless parasite co-evolution selects sexual diploids

Epistemological Taxonomy: Proved Mechanics vs. Conjectured Hypotheses

Status Domain Scientific Phenomenon Mechanism / Evidence
PROVED Cytogenetics Triploid Meiotic Catastrophe Odd homologous sets (3n=36) yield 98%+ unbalanced gametes in reductional division; clonal triploids universally undergo apomixis (parthenogenesis).
PROVED Morphometrics Cell Size vs. Body Size Invariance Nuclear and cell volumes expand linearly with DNA C-value; total somatic cell count drops from ~1.45×10⁷ (2n) to ~9.67×10⁶ (3n), keeping match-head body length fixed (~3.5 mm).
CONJECTURED Eco-Evolutionary Parasite-Driven Sexual Coexistence Red Queen co-evolution maintains sexual diploids in high-trematode lakes, while triploid clones dominate low-parasite shallow waters before ratchet decay.
CONJECTURED Epigenetics Dosage Compensation Buffering Tetraploids (4n) show balanced quadrivalent segregation and altered metabolic gene dosage, buffering invasive tolerance in novel river habitats.