Question at position 10 The prevalence of sexual reproduction in eukaryotes seems paradoxical given the fitness costs or disadvantages associated with it, one of which is the cost of producing males. Which of the following best exemplifies this "cost of males"?The Y chromosome has very few functional genes, whereas the X chromosome has manyMales fight among themselves for access to females and often suffer injury.Since males are larger than females, they require a disproportionate amount of scarce resources.Due to intense competition, most males leave no offspring and thus have zero fitness.Asexual females that produce only clonal female offspring have a faster growing population of descendants than sexual females.Clear my selection

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks us to identify an example that best illustrates the "cost of males" in the context of the prevalence of sexual reproduction in eukaryotes. We will evaluate each option for how well it reflects the idea that producing males imposes a fitness cost on the population.
Option 1: 'The Y chromosome has very few functional genes, whereas the X chromosome has many.' This statement describes genetic content differences between sex chromosomes, but it does not directly illustrate a fitness cost associated with producing males. It explains a genomic feature rather than a demographic cost to reproduction.
Option 2: 'Males fight among themselves for access to females and often suffer injury.' While male-male competition can impose costs on individuals, this option highlights behavioral interactions and injuries rather than a fundamental reproductive cost (in terms of offspring produced or population growth) that reduces overall fitness of sexual reproduction relative to asexual strategies.
Option 3: 'Since males are larger than females, they require a disproportionate amount of scarce resources.' This points to a resource allocation issue; however, it is not the classic demonstration of the cost of producing males in population genetics terms. It suggests a general energy demand but not directly tied to the relative fitness of offspring or sex ratios.
Option 4: 'Due to intense competition, most males leave no offspring and thus have zero fitness.' This captures the essence of the cost of males: a substantial proportion of males contributing little or no direct reproductive output, lowering the average fitness of sexually reproducing populations and helping explain why sex is costly.
Option 5: 'Asexual females that produce only clonal female offspring have a faster growing population of descendants than sexual females.' While this contrasts sexual and asexual reproduction and relates to fitness, it is describing a scenario where asexual reproduction outcompetes sexual reproduction, which is the broader context of costs of sex but not specifically the "cost of producing males" as a direct example. It also introduces a different mode of reproduction rather than focusing on male-specific costs.
In summary, options 1–3 and 5 each touch on related ideas but do not directly stand as a clear, classic illustration of the explicit cost of producing males. Option 4 most directly embodies the concept: a substantial number of males contributing little to offspring output, thereby illustrating the tangible fitness cost associated with male production in populations exhibiting sexual reproduction.

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