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Why Sex? And why only in Pairs?

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  • Motty Perry
  • Philip J. Reny
  • Arthur J. Robson

Abstract

Understanding the purpose of sex is a fundamental unresolved problem in evolutionary biology. The difficulty is not that there are too few theories of sex, the difficulty is that there are too many and none stand out. To distinguish between theories, we ask: Why are there no triparental species with offspring composed of the genetic material of three individuals? A successful theory should confer an advantage to biparental sex over asexual reproduction without conferring an even greater advantage to triparental sex. Of two leading theories (red queen and mutational), we show that only one is successful in this sense.

Suggested Citation

  • Motty Perry & Philip J. Reny & Arthur J. Robson, 2017. "Why Sex? And why only in Pairs?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 127(607), pages 2730-2743, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:econjl:v:127:y:2017:i:607:p:2730-2743
    DOI: 10.1111/ecoj.12364
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    Cited by:

    1. Francesconi, Marco & Ghiglino, Christian & Perry, Motty, 2016. "An evolutionary theory of monogamy," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 605-628.
    2. Alger, Ingela & Cox, Donald, 2020. "Evolution of the Family: Theory and Implications for Economics," IAST Working Papers 20-109, Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST).

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