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If you were a visiting alien and saw one species that covers itself almost entirely in living organisms of a different kingdom, walks around, is protected from wind and UV radiation, and helps maintain thermal equilibrium, what characteristics would determine whether that was "clothing" versus "symbiosis"?

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I had written a whole reply about how the pedestrians are in total control of the relationship rather than the fungus, but then I realized it's irrelevant. Symbiosis is a broad term; it applies to parasitism as well as host cleaning. So in the case where a pedestrian creature is wearing another living creature for protection, it is symbiosis.

Aren't we already extremely symbiotic with our gut and skin bacteria?

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