Anisogamy, Expenditure of Reproductive Effort, and the Optimality of Having Two Sexes

Marina A. Epelman (), Stephen Pollock (), Brian Netter () and Bobbi S. Low ()
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Marina A. Epelman: Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan, 1205 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Stephen Pollock: Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan, 1205 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Brian Netter: Yale Law School, Box 208215, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
Bobbi S. Low: School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109

Operations Research, 2005, vol. 53, issue 3, 560-567

Abstract: No good formal arguments exist for a central question in biology: Why, in species that have sexual reproduction, are there usually only “males” and “females”? We present a nonlinear optimization model that supports the conclusion that having only two sexes maximizes long-run viability.

Keywords: programming:nonlinear/quadratic; mathematics:convexity; modeling:applications in biology/sexual reproduction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:oropre:v:53:y:2005:i:3:p:560-567

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