Abstract
Meiosis is usually a two-step process: two divisions preceded by a duplication. One-step meiosis, a single division without prior replication, is a more logical way to produce haploid gametes; moreover, one-step meiosis leads to higher variabilty in the progeny than two-step meiosis. Yet one-step meiosis is very rare in nature, and may not even exist at all. I suggest that this is because one-step meiosis, in contrast to two-step meiosis, can be easily invaded and replaced by asexual reproduction. I discuss why other existing peculiar forms of division leading to the production of haploid gametes, but not one-step meiosis, have the same effect as two-step meiosis.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1098-1105 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Evolutionary Biology |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 2004 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics