Selective Interference and the Evolution of Sex
Sarah P. Otto
Abstract
Selection acts upon genes linked together on chromosomes. This physical connection reduces the efficiency by which selection can act because, in the absence of sex, alleles must rise and fall together in frequency with the genome in which they are found. This selective interference underlies such phenomena as clonal interference and Muller's Ratchet and is broadly termed Hill-Robertson interference. In this review, I examine the potential for selective interference to account for the evolution and maintenance of sex, discussing the positive and negative evidence from both theoretical and empirical studies, and highlight the gaps that remain.
Topics & Concepts
BiologyInterference (communication)Evolutionary biologyComputational biologyTelecommunicationsComputer scienceChannel (broadcasting)Evolution and Genetic DynamicsEvolutionary Game Theory and CooperationMathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology Models