The existence of transposable elements in the genomes of predominantly asexual species such as bacteria poses a problem for evolutionary biologists. Attempts to explain the persistence of such elements in terms of selfish spread are confounded by the fact that in an asexual species, there is no way for elements to infect new hosts. However, it is difficult to conceive of a mechanism by which transposable elements can increase their host's fitness.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:490829 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | McGraw, James |
| Publisher | University of Nottingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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