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We found that even with heavily damaged DNA, the invasive planaria species, while slowed down, is still able to consume the native planaria, highlighting how invasive species that can tolerate DNA damage are still able to persist in the environment and harm native fauna. (4/4)

We investigated the impact of sublethal DNA damage on the ability of an invasive planaria species, very common in Australian urban ponds, to consume a native Australian species. (3/4)

In our new paper (doi.org/10.1016/j.is...) we show that oncogenic stress (=damages to the DNA) alters the predator-prey interaction between a native Australian planaria preyed upon by a North American invasive one. (2/4)

(6) Conclusion: We need to control for species popularity in future comparative oncology studies using captive animals. This is something already done in comparative studies looking at drivers of parasite diversity.

(5) Reproduction: Invasive placentation no longer associated with higher cancer mortality rates when the popularity of a species is accounted for.

(4) Reproduction: The negative association between gestation length and tumour prevalence in mammals still present, but more uncertain, and the baseline tumours rates are underestimated due to the above mentioned popularity biases

(3) Reproduction: The predicted effect of clutch size on tumour prevalence in birds double when species popularity is taken in account.

(2) Mutations: Similarly, the small trend between germinal cell mutation rate and cancer mortality recently observed is gone when the popularity of species are controlled for.

(1) Peto's paradox: Once the popularity of a species is taken in account the small positive association between body mass and tumour prevalence recently observed in vertebrates is gone.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Do they reproduce by splitting like real life planaria?

Interesting, what kind of diseases? We have had students working in my lab on tumours in freshwater hydra, I can forward them the position description!

Simply keeping observed prevalences constant for each species but shuffling the observed number of necropsies between species is enough to have widely different effect sizes with trends going in different directions for some groups.