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News Release 11-263
Close Family Ties Keep Microbial Cheaters in Check, Study Finds
Experiments on "slime mold" explain why almost all multicellular organisms begin life as a single cell
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![the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum.](/news/mmg/media/images/dicty1_f1.jpg)
The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is the subject of a new study of evolution.
Credit: Owen Gilbert
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![rotting logs on the forest floor.](/news/mmg/media/images/dicty2_f.jpg)
Rotting logs on the forest floor are among Dicty's favorite habitats.
Credit: State of Washington
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![Illustration of Dicty's basic life cycle.](/news/mmg/media/images/dicty3_f.jpg)
Dicty's basic life cycle is that of a social amoeba.
Credit: Wikipedia
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![the multicellular bodies formed when Dicty starves.](/news/mmg/media/images/dicty4_f.jpg)
Dicty preys on bacteria in soil. When Dicty starves, it forms a multicellular body.
Credit: Scott Solomon
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![Illustration showing the vegetative and social cyles of Dicty.](/news/mmg/media/images/dicty5_f.jpg)
Some 20% of Dicty cells at times support 80% of spores.
Credit: David Brown and Joan Strassmann
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![Cover of the December 16, 2011 issue of the journal Science.](/news/mmg/media/images/science_121611_f.jpg)
The researchers' work is described in the December 16, 2011 issue of the journal Science.
Credit: Copyright AAAS 2011
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