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Sex solves Haldane's dilemma.

Donal A Hickey¹, G Brian Golding²

¹Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke West, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada.

|August 23, 2019

Summary

Sexual reproduction prevents the accumulation of reproductive costs associated with multi-locus selection, unlike asexual reproduction. This finding offers a key explanation for the evolutionary advantage of sex.

Keywords:

cost of selection coût de la sélection evolution of sex recombinaison recombination standing genetic variation variation génétique existante évolution du sexe

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Population genetics

Background:

The cumulative reproductive cost of multi-locus selection has been hypothesized to limit adaptive evolution.
Haldane's arguments suggested significant reproductive costs for populations with selection acting on multiple genes.

Purpose of the Study:

To re-evaluate Haldane's arguments on reproductive costs in the context of different reproductive modes.
To investigate the impact of sexual versus asexual reproduction on the rate of adaptive evolution.

Main Methods:

Theoretical analysis of selection models.
Comparison of reproductive cost accumulation in sexual and asexual populations.

Main Results:

Haldane's reproductive cost arguments are valid only for asexual, clonal populations.
Sexual reproduction effectively avoids the accumulation of reproductive costs over multiple loci.
Adaptation involving multiple genes does not incur substantial reproductive costs in sexually reproducing populations.

Conclusions:

Sexual reproduction removes a perceived constraint on the rate of adaptive evolution.
The reduction in the cost of natural selection provides a biological explanation for the advantage of sex.
Asexual reproduction presents an evolutionary disadvantage due to accumulated reproductive costs, which sexual reproduction overcomes.