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. 2001 Jun;158(2):913–917. doi: 10.1093/genetics/158.2.913

Recessive mutations and the maintenance of sex in structured populations.

A F Agrawal 1, J R Chasnov 1
PMCID: PMC1461672  PMID: 11404351

Abstract

The evolutionary maintenance of sexual reproduction remains a controversial problem. It was recently shown that recessive deleterious mutations create differences in the mutation load of sexual vs. asexual populations. Here we show that low levels of population structure or inbreeding can greatly enhance the importance of recessive deleterious mutations in the context of sexual vs. asexual populations. With population structure, the cost of sex can be substantially reduced or even eliminated for realistic levels of dominance.

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Selected References

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