Nov. 21, 2013 — Domesticated silkmoths Bombyx mori have a much more limited perception of environmental odours compared to their wild relatives.
A new study on silkmoths revealed that the insects' ability to perceive environmental odours has been reduced after about 5000 years of domestication by humans. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, and their colleagues from Japan compared olfactory functions in Bombyx mori and in their wild ancestors. Perception of the pheromone bombykol, however, remained highly sensitive in domesticated males.
Silk: A natural product for 5000 years
The silkmoth Bombyx mori, originally native to China, was domesticated about 5000 years ago. Its larvae, silkworms, enclose themselves in a cocoon when they enter the pupa phase. They spin their cocoon from one single silk thread, which is several hundred meters long. For silk production, the cocoon
A new study on silkmoths revealed that the insects' ability to perceive environmental odours has been reduced after about 5000 years of domestication by humans. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, and their colleagues from Japan compared olfactory functions in Bombyx mori and in their wild ancestors. Perception of the pheromone bombykol, however, remained highly sensitive in domesticated males.
Silk: A natural product for 5000 years
The silkmoth Bombyx mori, originally native to China, was domesticated about 5000 years ago. Its larvae, silkworms, enclose themselves in a cocoon when they enter the pupa phase. They spin their cocoon from one single silk thread, which is several hundred meters long. For silk production, the cocoon