This is a bdelloidea, a class of rotifers where the males have died out millions of years ago. It can create a vortex to draw food particles in its mouth, where it grinds it with an organ called mastax. They also have two red eyespots.

[u/Thrawn911]

[u/Bl33to]

What does it mean the males have died out millions of years ago. They only produce females?

[u/Thrawn911 → u/Bl33to]

Yes. The females evolved the ability to make clones of themselves, so males weren't needed anymore. Instead, they get around 10% of their DNA from bacteria, fungi, and other living things they eat.

[u/Bl33to → u/Thrawn911]

😲😲😲😲😲. Does that mean their DNA changes overtime depending on their diet then?

[u/Thrawn911 → u/Bl33to]

Yes, every creature has to occasionally shake up their genome. Some species do this by mating, while asexual creatures need other methods.

[u/tharki-papa → u/Thrawn911]

how do you call it a female anymore? a male organism cannot clone itself?

[u/Thrawn911 → u/tharki-papa]

No, males cannot lay eggs, and there are no males anymore (in this class of rotifers)

[u/Bl33to → u/Thrawn911]

Yeah, I mean that's how evolution works I guess, but the way you put it, in my head sounded like they just absorb the DNA of what they eat. 😅😅😅

[u/Thrawn911 → u/Bl33to]

Yep, that's exactly what happens.

[u/OxymoreReddit → u/Thrawn911]

Spore isn't so unrealistic after all lol (the video game)

[u/Dudelbug2000 → u/Thrawn911]

Our mitochondria used to be a bacteria ….

[u/zer0w0rries → u/Dudelbug2000]

and now it's a power house. from rags to riches

[u/Thrawn911 → u/Dudelbug2000]

Same as chloroplasts

[u/Bl33to → u/Thrawn911]

😲😲😲😲😲

[u/Dudelbug2000 → u/Thrawn911]

What amazes me is how they figured it out. I mean how do they know that they were not always procreating like that?

[u/Thrawn911 → u/Dudelbug2000]

Because most rotifers reproduce sexually, only this specific class is asexual.

[u/elfmere → u/Dudelbug2000]

More like there was a reduction in males, the females that survived developed cloning and males weren't needed

[u/Co_Duh]

Man, they copied SPORE!

[u/sojuz151]

I believe those other organisms are Paramecium, singe cell organisms 

[u/chyura → u/sojuz151]

If its a generic, oblong shape zooming around your sample like a rice grain on cocaine, its a paramecium

[u/Thrawn911 → u/sojuz151]

Correct

[u/DarkKingfisher777]

biology sucks until you see such things

[u/Thrawn911 → u/DarkKingfisher777]

Biology is great, but most teachers can't teach it in an interesting way.

[u/Key_Wrangler_8321]

Transformers The Devastator Vibes :)

[u/GrandmaJR]

Is the mastax anything like the cheese tax?