How All-Female Lizards Keep Their Genes Fresh Without Sex

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By Andrew Moseman
Feb 23, 2010 3:50 PMJun 28, 2023 3:30 PM

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Sure, creatures that reproduce asexually get to avoid some of the hangups that come with sex, but the strategy brings its own problems. First and foremost, how do you prevent genetic deterioration without the fresh infusion of new genes that results from the mixing of male and female DNA? For the all-female whiptail lizard, the solution is to hedge its bets.

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