Effects of selfing on the evolution of sexual reproduction.

The article focuses on how self-fertilization (selfing) influences the evolution of sexual reproduction in plants through three main selective forces: (a) indirect selection caused by segregation at individual loci (intralocus interactions), (b) indirect selection due to changes in effective recombination rates between loci (interlocus interactions), and (c) selection arising from the cost of meiosis and mate limitation. Using population genetic models and simulations, the study finds that selfing increases homozygosity and alters genetic associations, thereby affecting these selective forces differently depending on the rates of selfing and sexual reproduction. Notably, intermediate selfing rates tend to hinder the evolution of sexual reproduction, while high selfing rates favor it, suggesting that asexual reproduction may often evolve before selfing in plant populations. The results also provide insights into the evolution of breeding systems in partially clonal populations and the mechanisms reducing geitonogamy.