Biology 1001A Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Evolutionary Arms Race
23 Jun 2019
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Document Summary
Mutational explanations for sex involved long term, population level benefits. Sexual recombination speeds up the rate of getting rid of bad mutation and combine and increase good mutations. In a stable environment, probably better off cloning yourself. Asexual environment should be favoured in a stable environment. Since environment is usually unpredictable the condition offspring will live in is unknown. Lottery principal (buy many copies of the same ticket or hedge your bets) Sex gives the maximum chance of at least one offspring surviving in a changing environment. Evolutionary arms race, diseases change keys, organisms change locks. How to explain sexually dimorphic traits and costly traits that reduce survival. Sexually dimorphic traits do not enhance survival traits, usually is detrimental. Traits are favoured by selection since they better attract a mate. Intrasexual selection is a direct competition between species. Intersexual is the process of attracting the opposite sex (evolution of ornaments/beautiful traits)
