Why sexual reproduction is so overwhelmingly common in nature despite its profound costs remains an open question in evolutionary biology. One potential explanation for the predominance of sexual reproduction resides in the benefits of genetic recombination. A likely important positive outcome of recombination is that it allows organisms to produce offspring that do not inevitably inherit harmful mutations borne by their parent(s). Consequently, asexual lineages are expected to exhibit accelerated accumulation of harmful mutations compared to sexual lineages, so that asexual lineages would eventually be driven extinct. We will evaluate the functional impact of mutation accumulation in asexual vs. sexual lineages using Potamopyrgus antipodarum, a New Zealand freshwater snail in which accelerated mutation accumulation in asexual lineages has already been documented. This research will provide the first known attempt to connect mutation accumulation at the DNA level with functional consequences at the organismal level in a species in which sexual and asexual individuals regularly coexist.
A major component of this project involves collaboration with more than 100 high school and undergraduate students in which students will make meaningful contributions to understanding how sexual reproduction influences genotypes and phenotypes. As such, this research represents a joint public and scientific effort to better understand the role of sexual reproduction in the evolution of life.
