What structural change results from the cessation of recombination in asexual *Aspidoscelis*?

Answer

Vast stretches of linkage disequilibrium

The abandonment of sexual reproduction in *Aspidoscelis* leads to profound genomic restructuring, particularly due to the cessation of recombination. Recombination in sexual species constantly shuffles genes, breaking down associations between linked genes, which is vital for exposing and removing deleterious mutations. In the asexual lineages, segments of the genome inherited together from the original hybrid parents remain physically linked across generations. This failure to break up these inherited blocks results in extensive linkage disequilibrium spanning large chromosomal segments. This linkage persists over deep evolutionary time, essentially preserving ancestral genetic packages and allowing researchers to trace the clonal history with great clarity.

What structural change results from the cessation of recombination in asexual *Aspidoscelis*?

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