The Relation of Spore Formation to Recombination

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Abstract
The following general rule is suggested and illustrated by a series of examples: If the life cycles of many different organisms that produce spores (or some equivalent resistant stage, e.g. cysts) are compared, it can be shown that recombination is invariably closely associated with sporulation. There are some cases where all forms of recombination appear to be lacking and these particular asexual organisms will therefore provide exceptions to this general rule. By close association it is meant that the spores, when they emerge, have previously undergone recombination (or do so upon germination) and the immediate spore products are correspondingly variable. The advantage of such a system is obvious: the possibility that new geographic environments or new seasons face the emerging spore products are excellent, and the greater the genetic variability, the greater the likelihood of having a genotype especially suited to the new external conditions.

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