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To: DuncanWaring
Unanswered is the question of “How did it come to pass that a population of organisms generated dual mutations simultaneous in time and space to produce a ‘male’ component and a ‘female’ component

Evolutionary theory holds that there was a *long* history of progression, in many stages:

* From completely asexual reproduction, to partial exchange of genetic material;

* From completely asexual reproduction, to organisms that can reproduce both asexually and sexually (as exemplified in *many* organisms that still exist, from amoebas to aphids);

* From partially asexual/partially sexual, to completely sexual reproduction;

* From sexual reproduction with no dedicated sexes (which is still used by the majority of plants, and many "lower" animal forms), to sexual reproduction where individuals can become *either* male or female, to sexual reproduction with dedicated sexes (male and female).

* To all the many different ways that sexes are determined (e.g. determined by what they are fed during early development ... like bees and wasps; or individuals that can become male or female depending on mating opportunities ... like many types of molluscs, like slugs; or where males are haploid and females are diploid ... like ants; to male and female determined by temperature during gestation ... as in many types of reptiles; to males and females determined by X or Y chromosome ... which is the system used by us mammals).

* Finally, the transition from sexual reproduction with different sexes that are almost identical, to where the different sexes are significantly different ... like us humans, but even moreso in other mammals such as pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) or ungulates (deer, cows, goats, etc.).

It would take a *lot* more explanation to describe each of these stages ... and a *lot* more examples where all of these different transitions can still be seen in effect in modern organisms.

10 posted on 06/21/2012 12:09:38 PM PDT by trailhkr1 (All you need to know about Zimmerman, innocent = riots, manslaughter = riots, guilty = riots)
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To: trailhkr1

If an organism was reproducing asexually, what’s the theory/reasoning behind why they’d develop different sexual organs to reproduce sexually?

While we’re in the ballpark. . .What are some of the best examples of creatures who are presently in the middle of transitioning between species?


13 posted on 06/21/2012 12:21:12 PM PDT by Hayride
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