Passage: [Reference to Red Queen hypothesis text above]
The author mentions that asexual reproduction is 'mathematically twice as efficient' primarily in order to:
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Emphasize the theoretical puzzle that the Red Queen hypothesis seeks to resolve
- Step 1: Analyze the context in which the mathematical efficiency of asexual reproduction is introduced: the opening sentences frame the persistence of sex as an enduring enigma.
- Step 2: Evaluate why this efficiency comparison is emphasized: by showing that asexual reproduction is twice as efficient, the author defines the two-fold cost of sex that creates the paradox.
- Step 3: Establishing this paradox serves primarily to emphasize the theoretical puzzle that the Red Queen hypothesis seeks to resolve.
Answer
Emphasize the theoretical puzzle that the Red Queen hypothesis seeks to resolve.
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