Revisiting the shelter theory: can deleterious mutations alone explain the evolution of sex chromosomes?

Y and W chromosomes often stop recombining and degenerate. Most work on recombination suppression has focused on the mechanisms favoring recombination arrest in the short term. Yet, the long-term maintenance of recombination suppression is critical to evolving degenerate sex chromosomes. This long-term maintenance has been little investigated. In the long... Show more