I found this LW post on the evolution of sexual reproduction quite riveting: lesswrong.com/posts/yA8DWsHJeF . 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!

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@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.

hollyelmore.substack.com/p/sex

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