Sexual, Unisexual and Asexual Reproduction in Animals – Causes and Consequences

Through fertilization of eggs and sperm, the most important consequence of sex is the generation of novel genetic combinations in each generation. Although evolutionary speaking, sex is costly, it is the most frequent reproductive mode in the animal kingdom, presenting an evolutionary paradox. Many hypotheses have been put forward to explain this puzzle. These can be divided into sex producing good genes for adaptations or sex being required to prevent the accumulation of bad genes. The causes and mechanisms of non-sexual reproductive modes in animals are almost as diverse as the animal world itself, and are described here in detail. Some asexual lineages have also developed novel mechanisms to substitute sex and mimic its evolutionary advantages.

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