Sexual selection and the evolution of obligatory sex
2007
The Evolution of Obligatory Sex
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Hadany Lilach, Beker Tuvik
Primary Institution: University of Iowa
Hypothesis
How can obligatory sex evolve and be maintained in the presence of facultative sexual reproduction?
Conclusion
Sexual selection can enable the evolution and maintenance of obligatory sex even against facultative sexual reproduction.
Supporting Evidence
- Sexual selection can provide short-term advantages to females that reproduce sexually.
- Obligatory sex is more common among organisms with high differential mating success.
- Environmental changes can expand the conditions under which obligatory sex evolves.
Takeaway
This study shows that sexual selection helps species that reproduce only sexually to survive and thrive, even when some of their relatives can reproduce without mating.
Methodology
The study used mathematical modeling to analyze the evolutionary dynamics of genes coding for obligatory and facultative sex.
Limitations
The model assumes free recombination, which may not reflect real-world conditions in all populations.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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