What is sex? How did it originate? Why does it persist?

我研究了性的定义、起源和无处不在。当基本假设受到质疑时，我的观点就会改变。自体受精算不算性？为什么遗传混合被认为是性的主要功能，尽管需要援引群体选择？我的目标是写一部明确的性别进化史。我的工作假设是，配子的产生和受精都能使有机体恢复活力。我假设性主要不是一种遗传现象，而是一种表观遗传现象。更具体地说，性通过重置负责发育的分子来减缓进化。将它们重新设置到前几代的状态。这对个体有机体提供了直接的好处，因为在没有配子和受精的情况下，发育最终会出错。这种工作假说可能解释性行为的起源，以及为什么性行为仍然存在。我将其与目前普遍存在的性行为范式进行比较，在这种范式中，性行为增加了所有后代的基因变异，从而加快了进化，但不一定对任何个人有利。我们的研究需要设计理论、建立数学模型和进行实证检验。我们的理论工作有两个方向。首先，我们试图解释为什么发育信号的重置与配子形成和受精有关。为什么这种重置与染色体数量减半有着千丝万缕的联系？其次，我们认为术语“基因”包括控制发育的信号，即使这些发育信号可能不是由DNA直接编码的。我们建立了这种广义基因如何进化的数学模型，我们用这些模型来测试有性的存在是否为种群提供了优势，从而可能解释为什么有性存在。我们经验性地测试了那些调节发育的分子信号的重置是否只与减数分裂和受精有关。

I examine the definition, origin, and ubiquity of sex.  Perspectives change when fundamental assumptions are questioned.  Does self fertilization count as sex?  Why is genetic mixing considered the primary function of sex, despite the need to invoke group selection?  My goal is to write a definitive evolutionary history of sex.My working hypothesis is that production of gametes and fertilization both rejuvenate an organism.  I posit that sex is not primarily a genetic phenomenon, but rather an epigenetic one.  More specifically, sex slows down evolution by resetting molecules responsible for development, resetting them to their state in previous generations.  This provides a direct benefit to the individual organism insofar as development would eventually go awry without production of gametes and fertilization.  This working hypothesis may explain the origin of sex and why sex still persists.  Compare this with the current and long-lived paradigm for the ubiquity of sex, in which sex increases genetic variation amongst all descendants, thereby speeding up evolution, but is not necessarily advantageous to any individual.Our research entails devising theory, building mathematical models, and conducting empirical tests.  The theoretical work takes two tacks.  First, we try to explain why reset of developmental signals is associated with gamete formation and fertilization.  Why should this reset be inextricably tied to halving the number of chromosomes?  Second, we consider the term 'gene' to include signals that control development, even if these developmental signals may not be directly coded for by DNA.  We build mathematical models of how such generalized genes evolve, which we use to test whether presence of sex provides an advantage to populations and hence possibly explain why sex has persisted.  We empirically test whether reset of those molecular signals that regulate development are exclusively associated with meiosis and fertilization.