The why behind sex

Harvard Gazette reports on new research from Harvard biologists exploring why sexual reproduction exists, despite its biological costs. Using yeast that can reproduce both sexually and asexually, the team found that in changing environments, sexually reproducing populations gained a fitness advantage of up to five point six percent over asexual ones. The advantage comes from purging harmful genetic mutations that asexual clones can't shed. As the researchers explain, this mechanism likely applies across all organisms, from microbes to plants and animals.

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