Genomic consequences of asexual reproduction in animals

Asexuality is predicted to have many consequences for genome evolution, since gamete production and the restoration of somatic ploidy levels via fertilization no longer take place. The empirical evidence for most predictions remains however unclear, largely because in case studies of isolated asexual species, putative effects of asexuality are confounded with species specific patterns. To fill this knowledge gap, we have generated de novo genome assemblies of five independently evolved asexual stick insect species and their sexual relatives. I will discuss the insights we developed from genome comparisons of sexual and asexual stick insect species as well from comparisons across previously published genomes of asexual animals