Genomic clues to an ancient asexual scandal.
Despite abandoning meiosis, the bdelloid rotifers have persisted for millions of years and given rise to hundreds of species. Several mechanisms--allelic variants with different functions, high effective population size, and resistance to radiation--may contribute to their success.
Rice
William R
WR
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. rice@lifesci.ucsb.edu
Friberg
Urban
U
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008540:Meiosis; D012403:Rotifera / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology