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About the Cover
Cover: Egg cocoons of the earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra encounter severe dehydration both during summer drought and as the surrounding soil freezes during winter. Under these circumstances, cocoons are able to survive more than 90% water loss. Petersen et al. (pp. 1903−1910) demonstrate that slow dehydration of cocoons markedly improves survival compared to rapidly dehydrated cocoons. This improvement is related to a greater accumulation of compatible osmolytes that improve water retention but also provide non-colligative protection, enabling gradually dehydrated cocoons to survive with a lower water content (see graph). Photo/microscope from Dept. Systemic Botany, AU. Photo Per G. Henriksen and Johannes Overgaard.
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