Category: Uncategorized

US military agency invests $100m in genetic extinction technologies. Super-bad idea. View in LinkedIn

OPTIONS. "Contrasting with separate-sexed animals, simultaneous hermaphrodites display unique reproductive strategies as they are male and female at the same time. Simultaneous hermaphrodites that copulate unilaterally, for instance, make a decision to mate as a male or female." https://lnkd.in/eUYgBrA View in LinkedIn

SELFING AND OUTCROSSING. "Classical theory on mating system evolution suggests that simultaneous hermaphrodites should either outcross if they have high inbreeding depression (ID) or self-fertilize if they have low ID. However, a mixture of selfing and outcrossing persists in many species." https://lnkd.in/ehVZ44Z View in LinkedIn

DARWINIAN ADAPTATION. "Sex allocation theory is considered as a touchstone of evolutionary biology, providing some of the best supported examples for Darwinian adaptation." https://lnkd.in/eP698dz View in LinkedIn

FINDING. "The functional significance of floral display is not the total number of flowers produced by an inflorescence or ramet but rather the number of flowers in anthesis each day." https://lnkd.in/encXPYB View in LinkedIn

FLOWER DURATION. "Studies investigating flower dimorphism and floral display with unisexual flowers (monoecy or dioecy) often report male function extends the duration of their floral displays through producing or opening only a fraction of their flowers each day compared to female function." https://lnkd.in/encXPYB View in LinkedIn

IMPACT OF SEX RATIO. "In monoecious populations, the floral sex ratio also has the potential to affect mating opportunities. Pollinator-meditated selection should result in larger male floral displays and hence higher ratio of male to female flowers, because the number of male flowers influences pollen production and attraction to pollinators. On the other hand, sexual selection should favor extended duration of male function, thus increasing the number and variety of mating partners." https://lnkd.in/encXPYB View in LinkedIn

PREVAILING PREMISE. "Theoretical studies have predicted that reproductive asynchrony, which occurs when males and females are reproductively active at different times, could increase reproductive failure as the probability of temporal overlap of potential mates, especially in small populations, is reduced." https://lnkd.in/encXPYB View in LinkedIn

CHEATING PLANTS. "One of the consequences of such sexual specialization is that reward levels to pollinators often differ between male and female flowers as a result of sexual selection. Such specialization leads, in some cases, to cheating by one deceptive sex, which can be either male or female." https://lnkd.in/e8CyHKf View in LinkedIn

SO ENDS this explosive topic about the viral impact on evolution. In context, we are still engaged in the bizarre and arcane discussion of whether viruses are actually alive or not. And, the tree of life taxonomists have not permitted a branch to include the most prevalent creature on this planet. Further, evolutionary biologists are still debating angels on a pinhead about Darwin’s nuances. No wonder these provocative and compelling ideas have fallen in deaf ears. View in LinkedIn