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I found this LW post on the evolution of sexual reproduction quite riveting: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/yA8DWsHJeFZhDcQuo/the-talk-a-brief-explanation-of-sexual-dimorphism . I've now ramblingly re-explained it to the 3 of my friends who will listen to me for long enough for me to get away with it!
@mgj Same! Related:
Why plants mostly reproduce sexually is a mystery since asexual reproduction is a lot cheaper.
Yet, most asexual species acquired that trait only recently, suggesting that asexual lineages rarely tend to last long. The trait is "twiggy" on the evolutionary tree.
Hypothesis: most plants are obligate outbreeders because the *option* of a mixed strategy forces them to myopically grab asexual fitness—at the cost of resilience to existential threats.
https://hollyelmore.substack.com/p/sex-at-the-limits-bakers-law