Is Muller's Ratchet A Useful Tool In Explaining The Evolution Of Sexual Reproduction?

Muller's ratchet is a hypothesis that helps explain the advantage of sexual reproduction (Chao, 1997). Muller's ratchet is a very useful tool in explaining the evolution of sexual reproduction, however it has its limits. In order to understand this, an examination of Muller's ratchet, completed experiments, and its limitations must be accomplished. Mutation and drift create problems in an asexual society and the drift theory of sex declares that a sexual society will solve that problem (…

…that can explain the advantage of sexual reproduction, but none as well as Muller's ratchet theory. Works Cited Anderson, D.L. and Hughes, D. 1996. Muller's ratchet decreases fitness of a DNA-based microbe. PNAS 93(1): 906-907. Chao, L. 1990. Fitness of RNA virus decreased by Muller's ratchet. Nature 348(6300): 454-455. Chao, L. 1997. Evolution of sex and the molecular clock in RNA viruses. Gene 205(1-2): 301-308. Freeman, S. and Herron, J. Evolutionary Analysis. (3rd Ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., 2001.