Summary
In spring, aphids skip mating entirely and give birth to babies that are exact copies of themselves -- and those babies are already carrying babies. Deep Look explains how one aphid becomes an army of clones.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
Many aphids reproduce without mating, so each mother produces daughters that are genetic copies -- clones -- of herself. Because the young already contain the next generation, aphid numbers explode quickly. Clones inherit all their traits from that single parent.
- How can aphids have babies without mating?
- Why are the baby aphids exact copies of their mother?
- How do clones help aphids increase their numbers so fast?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: clone, offspring, inherit, trait.
Try it: Draw one aphid making three identical copies of itself. Write why clones have exactly the same traits as the parent.