Mating yields DNA benefit

Animals who attract a mate for sexual reproduction are rewarded for their efforts by eliminating potentially harmful DNA in the future, according to scientists.

A new study shows that animals and plants that reproduce sexually are at a considerable advantage to those species, such as some insects and reptiles, that reproduce without a partner.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh studied sexual reproduction in tiny fruit flies to learn more about how DNA is randomly shuffled when the genes of two parents combine to create a new individual.