Patterns of molecular evolution in a parthenogenic terrestrial isopod (Trichoniscus pusillus).

ABSTRACT: The "paradox of sex" refers to the question of why sexual reproduction is maintained in the wild, despite how costly it is compared to asexual reproduction. Because of these costs, one might expect nature to select for asexual reproduction, yet sex seems to be continually selected for. Multiple hypotheses have been proposed to explain this incongruence, including the niche differentiation hypothesis, the Red Queen hypothesis, and accumulation of harmful mutations in asexual species due to inefficient purifying selection. This study focuses on the accumulation of mutations in two terrestrial isopods, Trichoniscus pusillus, which has sexual diploid and parthenogenic triploid forms, and Hyloniscus riparius, an obligately sexual relative. We surveyed sex ratios of both species in

SUBMITTER: Yarbrough E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11276757 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature