Genomic signature of sexual reproduction in the bdelloid rotifer Macrotrachella quadricornifera

Abstract Bdelloid rotifers, common freshwater invertebrates of ancient origin and worldwide distribution have long been thought to be entirely asexual, being the principal exception to the view that in eukaryotes the loss of sex leads to early extinction. That bdelloids are facultatively sexual is shown by a study of allele sharing within a group of closely related bdelloids of the species Macrotrachella quadricornifera, supporting the view that sexual reproduction is essential for long-term success in all eukaryotes.