ABSTRACT
Most species of familiar plants and animals reproduce sexually. But, despite Weismann’s pessimistic prognosis, various forms of asexual reproduction are far from being rare. Reproduction by bulbs, cuttings and stolons is common in plants. In animals, cases of asexual propagation are known in invertebrates, for example in corals and sea anemones. Parthenogenesis is a common way of asexual reproduction in insects. The advantages of sexual reproduction were realized in the late 19th century by the German zoologist, August Weismann. Asexual reproduction, however, also has its advantages. The reproductive potential of a sexual population is half that of an asexual one: only half the individuals, the females, actually produce offspring. If the population reproduces sexually, the arrival of two adult individuals of opposite sex is required in order to colonize a new habitat or site, but a single asexual individual can start a colony. Parthenogenesis is a reproductive system in which mothers produce daughters without fertilization.
