Fig. 1. Seed banks develop among diverse taxa with different life histories and reproductive modes.

A Annual plants, like Lunaria, produce seeds at the end of a growing season, which are deposited into the soil. A well-recognized example of bet-hedging, some fraction of these seeds will delay germination despite optimal conditions. B Daphnia is a planktonic crustacean with parthenogenic reproduction, where females generate offspring without fertilization. When stressed, some species produce males, who in turn fertilize females, leading to the production of dormant resting stages (ephippia) that can persist for extended periods of time in aquatic sediments. C Among many groups of microorganisms, including gut bacteria like Bacteroides, individuals can enter and exit from a dormant state independent of reproduction and without the need of generating physical resting structures. Part (A) image is courtesy of P. Meyer. Part (B) image is courtesy of J. Haney and the illustration is courtesy of J. Ferguson (https://www.paintingbiology.com). Part (C) image is courtesy of C. Skilbeck, (www.cronodon.com).