Washington:
The next time you have sex, you may well have to thank parasites -- in spite of their nasty reputation, for a new study has claimed that it evolved as part of a defence against parasites.
Despite its central role in biology, sex has been a bit of an evolutionary mystery. Now, an international team has found that the pleasure, which is essential to continuation of the species, began as parasite defence, the latest edition of the 'American Naturalist' reported.
Researchers have based their findings on an analysis of Enter Potamopyrgus antipodarum, a snail found in lakes in New Zealand.
What makes these snails interesting is that there are sexual and asexual versions, that gave them an opportunity to compare the two versions side-by-side in nature.
In fact, the team observed several populations of the snails for ten years starting in 1994. The researchers monitored the number of sexuals, the number asexuals, and the rates of parasite infection for both.
They found that clones that were plentiful at the beginning of the study became more susceptible to parasites over time. As parasite infections increased, the once plentiful clones dwindled dramatically in number.
Despite its central role in biology, sex has been a bit of an evolutionary mystery. Now, an international team has found that the pleasure, which is essential to continuation of the species, began as parasite defence, the latest edition of the 'American Naturalist' reported.
Researchers have based their findings on an analysis of Enter Potamopyrgus antipodarum, a snail found in lakes in New Zealand.
What makes these snails interesting is that there are sexual and asexual versions, that gave them an opportunity to compare the two versions side-by-side in nature.
In fact, the team observed several populations of the snails for ten years starting in 1994. The researchers monitored the number of sexuals, the number asexuals, and the rates of parasite infection for both.
They found that clones that were plentiful at the beginning of the study became more susceptible to parasites over time. As parasite infections increased, the once plentiful clones dwindled dramatically in number.
