MadSci Network: Zoology |
There are many forms of marine life that exhibit replacement of this type. The ones that come to mind immediately are sea stars and snow crabs (you can "harvest" the claw for food and these crabs grow the claw again. Unfortunately, I am not aware of the DNA research on these organisms. It is a little outside my field, so I would be inclined to send you back to the web. I can help you, however, by letting you know that a lot of research has been done on cell generation by sponges. Much of this research was begun by S. Pomponi at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Inst. in Florida. I hope this will lead you in the right direction. If not, please resubmit your question and ask that it be directed to a geneticist. Good luck!
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Zoology.