The idea that sexual reproduction evolved as a way to increase genetic diversity in a population, rendering that population less vulnerable to pathogens, is called:

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The idea that sexual reproduction evolved as a way to increase genetic diversity in a population, rendering that population less vulnerable to pathogens, is known as the Red Queen hypothesis. This hypothesis is named after the character from Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass," who famously remarked, "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place." The Red Queen hypothesis suggests that host-pathogen coevolution creates a kind of "arms race," in which pathogens evolve to better infect their hosts, and hosts evolve to better resist infection. This constant competition requires genetic diversity within host populations, which sexual reproduction can provide.

The Idea That Sexual Reproduction Evolved as a Way to Increase