For humans and most animals, sexual reproduction is an essential part of life, as it increases the chances of survival of species through time, thanks to the genetic diversity produced during the process.
Animal species who do asexual reproduction, on the other hand, are believed to not survive for long, as there is not much genetic diversity happening.
But this is not the case for the Oppiella nova, a species of beetle mite. Scientists have discovered that this certain species can survive without sexual reproduction for, quite possibly, millions of years. Through this study, scientists have been able to prove, for the first time, the Meselson effect in animals.
More about this over at the University of Cologne.
(Image Credit: M. Maraun and K.Wehne)
#Biology #SexualReproduction #AsexualReproduction #MeselsonEffect #GeneticDiversity