The evolution of sex through the Baldwin effect

Bull, Larry

Abstract

This paper suggests that the fundamental haploid-diploid cycle of eukaryotic sex exploits a rudimentary form of the Baldwin effect. With this explanation for the basic cycle, the other associated phenomena can be explained as evolution tuning the amount and frequency of learning experienced by an organism. Using the well-known NK model of fitness landscapes it is shown that varying landscape ruggedness varies the benefit of the haploid-diploid cycle, whether based upon endomitosis or syngamy. The utility of mechanisms such as pre-meiotic doubling and recombination during the cycle are also shown to vary with landscape ruggedness. This view is suggested as underpinning, rather than contradicting, many existing explanations for sex.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 18, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Nov 1, 2017
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: May 31, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 1, 2017
• Journal: Artificial Life
• Print ISSN: 1064-5462
• Electronic ISSN: 1530-9185
• Publisher: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press (MIT Press)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 481-492
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1162/ARTL_a_00242
• Keywords: Endomitosis, haploid-diploid cycle, meiosis, NK model, recombination
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/887490
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/ARTL_a_00242
• Additional Information: This is the accepted version of an article forthcoming in Artificial Life
• Contract Date: Jun 1, 2017