Thought exercise: If evolution could only occur with meiosis and sexual reproduction then life that does not include meiosis and sexual reproduction could not evolve. Can any examples that seem to indicate evolution having occured be cited from plants or animals without sexual reproduction?
Consider the conjugation of amobae. That doesn't include meiosis and there are not male and/or female amobae. Genetic material does get intermixed and redistributed though.
Mutation is not dependant on meiosis and sexual reproduction. Mutation happens. Meiosis and sexual reproduction allow mutated genes to be variously distributed, rather than remaining in set organizational patterns.
Relative to mutations, with recessive genes, it may be generations or centuries before a recessive mutation may be "expressed" because it would need to be inherited from both parents. A dominant gene mutation would be notable sooner and might become an illustration of evolution-in-action even with asexual reproduction, if there was a clear advantage for survival.
Consider the conjugation of amobae. That doesn't include meiosis and there are not male and/or female amobae. Genetic material does get intermixed and redistributed though.
Mutation is not dependant on meiosis and sexual reproduction. Mutation happens. Meiosis and sexual reproduction allow mutated genes to be variously distributed, rather than remaining in set organizational patterns.
Relative to mutations, with recessive genes, it may be generations or centuries before a recessive mutation may be "expressed" because it would need to be inherited from both parents. A dominant gene mutation would be notable sooner and might become an illustration of evolution-in-action even with asexual reproduction, if there was a clear advantage for survival.