AI Insight
Researchers at Bangor University have discovered that stick insects of the genus Timema, which have reproduced asexually for approximately one million years, have retained genetic systems associated with sexual reproduction despite not using them. This represents the longest documented period of asexual reproduction in any insect species. The finding challenges assumptions about how quickly unused biological systems are lost through evolution.
Why it matters
This research provides insights into the evolutionary persistence of complex biological systems even when they are not actively used, which has implications for understanding genetic conservation and the potential reversibility of evolutionary changes. The findings may inform broader questions about how organisms maintain genetic flexibility over evolutionary timescales.
Understand the Science
Scientists have made a surprising finding about how an asexually reproducing stick insect has evolved. Research led by Dr. Darren Parker, lecturer in evolutionary biology at Bangor University, studied the genes of several species of Timema (a type of stick insect), which have not engaged in sexual reproduction for 1 million years—the longest known asexual period for any insect.
Source: One million years without sex fails to erase stick insects' unused biological system