How is variation in offspring an advantage for a species (in sexual reproduction)?

Question

& What are some of its disadvantages?

Answer 1

All organisms produce more offspring than can successfully survive and reproduce. Each offspring differs slightly from the parents and from other offspring. Some have more or less success in reproducing. This is called 'differential reproductive success'.

These three, very obvious statements, are the basis of Darwin's Theory of evolution.

Some of the offspring will have traits that will grant them more success at reproducing. Some will have traits that grant less success at reproduction. As time and generations go on, some obvious differences will appear.

Disadvantages are that the process of natural selection is wasteful. Many organisms are born, use up resources and die without reproducing.

Answer 2

Advantages: There is a mixture of genes so it is not too limited. The variations found in offspring of sexual reproduction allow some individuals to be better suited for survival and provide a mechanism for selective adaptation to occur. In addition, sexual reproduction usually results in the formation of a life stage that is able to endure the conditions that threaten the offspring of an asexual parent.
Disadvantages: Can't grow exponetially or really quickly. The offspring are not identical to parents.

Answer 3

variation in offspring has an advantage for a species because new traits may arise which over generations may give the species particular advantages. The only disadvantage that I can think of is some variations may cause that particular offspring to have a disadvantage

Answer 4

Advantage:
When the environmental conditions change, some individuals may accidentally or coincidentally have a variation that helps them to survive in that condition.

If all the individuals are clones, conditions that are bad for some are bad for all.

Disadvantage:
Reproducing asexually may not produce variation, but it is relatively fast. When environmental conditions are good for the parent, the offspring will also be well-suited to the conditions because they're just like the parent.