Earth's first animals barely evolved until sex changed everything

Earth's earliest animals reproduced asexually, resulting in low-competition communities with minimal evolutionary change. The switch to sexual reproduction, driven by environmental pressures, marked a significant turning point in the history of life on Earth. Sexual reproduction introduced greater genetic diversity, leading to increased competition and driving evolution forward at a rapid pace. This shift ultimately sparked a dramatic explosion in biodiversity, transforming the planet's ecosystems.

✦ AI-generated summary