A wide variety of life cycles can be found in the different groups of multicellular eukaryotes.
Here we provide an overview of this variety, and review some of the theoretical arguments …

Sexual reproduction is a fundamental aspect of life. It is defined by the occurrence of meiosis
and the fusion of two gametes of different sexes or mating types. Sex-determination …

Baker's Law predicts uniparental reproduction will facilitate colonization success in novel
habitats. While evidence supports this prediction among colonizing plants and animals, few …

The extent of changes in genetic diversity and life-history traits associated with farming was
investigated in the haploid–diploid red alga, Gracilaria chilensis, cultivated in Chile. This …

The red algal genus Gracilaria is harvested and cultured on a commercial scale in many
countries because it has considerable economic importance as an agarophyte. Total annual …

Many species of marine algae have life cycles that involve multiple separate, free-living
phases that frequently differ in ploidy levels. These complex life cycles have received …

Determining the relative importance of sexual and asexual reproduction is critical for
determining how genetic diversity is partitioned within and among populations. Macroalgae …

The evolutionary stability of haploid–diploid life cycles is still controversial. Mathematical
models indicate that niche differences between ploidy phases may be a necessary condition …

Chondrus crispus Stackh. has been intensely studied, yet no study to date has elucidated its
population structure or mating system despite many populations in which there was a …

Meiosis and syngamy generate an alternation between two ploidy stages, but the timing of
these two processes varies widely across taxa, thereby generating life cycle diversity. One …