Some animals species reproduce either Asexually or sexually,depending on the state of the environment?

Question

Asexually reproduction tends to occur in stable environments; sexually reproduction is more common in unstable or unfavorable circumstances. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages this pattern might have on suvivual of species in the evolutionary sense or on the suvivual of individuals?

Answer 1

Asexual reproduction is simple and quick (no need to find mates, no need to produce eggs, etc) so it conserves energy and resources. Disadvantage is that there is no genetic diversity (they're just making clones of themselves).

Sexual reproduction is more energy and resource intensive, but it will result in variation in the offspring. This will allow some offspring to survive better than others when the environment changes.

Daphnia do this (water fleas you use in biology class). They are all females. They live in ponds, and when the environment is favorable, they just reproduce parthenogenically (asexual reproduction). If things are good and you are doing pretty well, why change?

When the environment becomes stressful-- like when the pond is about to freeze or dry up-- they produce males and then reproduce sexually. They produce something called winter eggs, which can dry up, freeze, etc but stay viable.

When the pond fills up again, the eggs hatch. Those that are better adapted in the new environment survives and reproduces parthenogenically and the cycle continues...

Pretty cool reproductive strategy, if you asked me...

Answer 2

Read your assignments, and do your own homework; I studied, and you can too.