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EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF THE EVOLUTIONARY SIGNIFICANCE OF SEXUAL REPRODUCTION II. A TEST OF THE DENSITY‐DEPENDENT SELECTION HYPOTHESIS
Author(s) -
Ellstrand Norman C.,
Antonovics Janis
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1985.tb00402.x
Subject(s) - biology , sexual reproduction , asexual reproduction , selection (genetic algorithm) , reproduction , sexual selection , natural selection , evolutionary biology , ecology , zoology , artificial intelligence , computer science
This study tests the hypothesis that one evolutionary advantage of sexual reproduction is that it produces genetically variable progeny with a density‐dependent advantage mediated by resource partitioning or pest pressure. Our experimental approach involved planting separate plots of sexually‐derived and asexually‐derived tillers of the grass Anthoxanthum odoratum in density gradients at the two natural sites from which the source material was taken. The sexual progeny displayed a significant fitness advantage compared to the asexual progeny. But, in contrast to the expectations of the density‐dependent selection hypothesis, the advantage of the sexually produced progeny is most marked at lower densities. Thus, the results of this experiment and our previous report (Antonovics and Ellstrand, 1984) seem to best support the frequency‐dependent selection hypothesis for the advantage of sexual reproduction.