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Related Experiment Videos

Sex solves Haldane's dilemma.

Donal A Hickey1, G Brian Golding2

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

Genome
|August 23, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Reply to: Insufficient evidence for natural selection associated with the Black Death.

Nature·2025

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.

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.
Keywords:
cost of selectioncoût de la sélectionevolution of sexrecombinaisonrecombinationstanding genetic variationvariation génétique existanteévolution du sexe

Related Experiment Videos

  • 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.