Wouldn't it be easier for the survival of all species to be asexual? Or so everyone could produce a child by themselves.
It also says:
However, there is also a significantly reduced chance of mutation or other complications that can result from the mixing of genes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asexual_reproduction
2006-12-02 17:10:15 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
You pretty much answered your own question. Mixing of genes between two parents promotes creating a diverse and varied species. If your species undergoes asexual reproduction, a virus or bacteria that kills your great grandfather will probably kill everyone in your family because everyone would essentially be a twin and lack the defenses to fight them off.
2006-12-02 17:16:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A species would survive more easily with sexual reproduction than asexual, because with asexual reproduction, DNA does not change and therefore, all those organisms would be the same. If a disease came along that targeted some trait in those organisms, all of them would be wiped out. With sexual reproduction, DNA is much more varied and the species as a whole has a greater chance of surviving some kind of plague if the DNA is more varied, and therefore, the species is more varied.
2006-12-03 02:11:16 · answer #2 · answered by ritifo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The key word in your question has to do with the survival
of ALL species. As the more complex life forms require sexual reproduction for the continuation of the species, the answer is no. There are decided advantages to sexually based reproduction, among them incredible genetic diversity. The more diverse the gene pool, the stronger it is. The stronger the gene pool, the more likely the species will survive.
2006-12-03 01:19:46 · answer #3 · answered by Paul H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Without the mixing of genes, there is little to no possibility of genetic mutation, which would lead to evolution, through natural selection. Would it be easier? It might have been easier in the earlier periods on earth (such as Precambrian), but once life became more advanced, the need for mutations and natural selection required organisms to adapt and reproduce sexually.
2006-12-03 01:16:55 · answer #4 · answered by Nowhere Man 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Many (most?) fungi produce asexually and sexually.
2006-12-03 05:42:20 · answer #5 · answered by brooks b 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋