What does it mean to be asexual?
In recent years, we've seen a burgeoning social movement for the acceptance of asexuality. We've also seen more asexual characters popping up in shows such as Heartstopper and Sex Education......»»
"Amazon" algae shed light on what happens to populations when females switch to asexual reproduction
Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen and Kobe University discovered populations of female brown algae that reproduce from unfertilized gametes and thrive without males. In a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, they use.....»»
Asexual reproduction usually leads to a lack of genetic diversity. Not for these ants
Genetic diversity is essential to the survival of a species. It's easy enough to maintain if a species reproduces sexually; an egg and a sperm combine genetic material from two creatures into one, forming a genomically robust offspring with two disti.....»»
Discovery of bacterial proteins that induce asexual reproduction in insects
From microbes in the human gut to symbiotic algae in coral reefs, research in recent decades has increasingly revealed the pivotal roles that microorganisms (or microbial species) play in shaping the biology of host organisms and of broader ecosystem.....»»
What does it mean to be asexual?
In recent years, we've seen a burgeoning social movement for the acceptance of asexuality. We've also seen more asexual characters popping up in shows such as Heartstopper and Sex Education......»»
Some stick insects that normally reproduce through parthenogenesis found to mate on occasion
A team of ecologists and evolutionary biologists at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, has found that some normally asexual species of stick insects, which are known to reproduce via parthenogenesis, occasionally mate to enhance the gene pool......»»
Pro1 protein malfunction allows rice blast fungus to thrive, new study shows
The 'paradox of sex' refers to the puzzle of why the sexual mode of reproduction is more common among living beings than the asexual mode......»»
Study finds degree of asexual reproduction in liverwort plants is hormonally controlled
Asexual, or vegetative, reproduction in plants is controlled by environmental conditions, but the molecular signaling pathways that control this process are poorly understood. Recent research suggests that the KAI2-ligand (KL) hormone is responsible.....»»
Study investigates "virgin birth" in aquarium sharks, even when potential mates are nearby
Asexual reproduction is common for animals like starfish, deep-sea worms, and stick insects, but among vertebrates, it's a rarity. A process called parthenogenesis allows some female animals to fertilize an egg with their own genetic material, produc.....»»
How can sex education training videos be more inclusive?
Sexuality education often fails LGBTQIA2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit with the + indicating other identities not listed) students, few of whom report ever receiving inclusive education at school. Yet se.....»»
How asexuals navigate romantic relationships
Though an estimated 1% of Americans identify as asexual—a sexual orientation most commonly defined as lacking sexual attraction—asexual people remain relatively invisible and are rarely researched. For these reasons, they're frequently subjected.....»»
Asexual reproduction leads to harmful genetic mutations
A team led by biologists at The University of Texas at Arlington has published a study supporting the theory that species that reproduce asexually have more harmful genetic mutations than those utilizing sexual reproduction......»»
Stressed out worms use epigenetic inheritance to produce more sexually attractive offspring
Sexual reproduction allows organisms to mix up their genes and develop new adaptations to survive a harsh and ever-changing environment. Under nutrient-rich conditions, the worm C. elegans is typically asexual, but after enduring several generations.....»»
California Condors Are Capable of Asexual Reproduction
A new study shows that two captive birds had only maternal DNA and survived early development—a first for the critically endangered species......»»
Some animal species can survive successfully without sexual reproduction
In the framework of an international research project, a team of scientists have demonstrated for the first time that asexual reproduction can be successful in the long term. The animal they studied is the beetle mite Oppiella nova. Until now, the su.....»»
In the absence of genetic variation, asexual invasive species find new methods of adapting to their environment
Without the benefits of evolutionary genetic variation that accompany meiotic reproduction, how does an asexual invasive species adapt over time to a new environment to survive? In all-female weevil species that produce only female offspring from unf.....»»
How young LGBTQIA+ people used social media to thrive during COVID lockdowns
During COVID-19 lockdowns, a major concern for LGBTIQ+ communities, mental health professionals and academics was that young lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and questioning, intersex and asexual+ people may suffer from being stuck in transphobic.....»»
Genetic exchange discovered in anciently asexual rotifers
Evolutionary biologists at Skoltech have discovered recombination in bdelloid rotifers, microscopic freshwater invertebrates characterized by their presumed ancient asexuality. The existence of such anciently asexual groups calls into question the hy.....»»