How Honeybee Queens Avoid Inbreeding
Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - 11:31
in Biology & Nature
Genetic variation is important in a healthy population and recombination, or crossing-over, which occurs when sperm and egg cells are formed and segments of each chromosome pair are interchanged, is a vital part of maintaining genetic variation. Honeybees take it to a whole other level and a new study finds that the extreme recombination rates found in this species - 20X higher than humans, higher than measured in any other animal - seem to be crucial for their survival. read more