Sexual system

A sexual system is a pattern of sex allocation or a distribution of male and female function across organisms in a species. Terms like reproductive system and mating system have also been used as synonyms.

For Linnaeus' sexual system, a classification of plants, see Linnaean taxonomy ยง Classification for plants.

The distinction between sexual systems is not always clear due to phenotypic plasticity. Sexual systems are viewed as a key factor for genetic variation and reproductive success, and may have also led to the origin or extinction of certain species.

Interests in sexual systems go back to Darwin, who found that barnacles contain species that are androdioecious and some that are dioecious.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.