We aim to characterize animal genome evolution in the absence of sex and identify genomic features of asexually-reproducing animals that may allow them to persist over evolutionary times without the benefits of sex. We will generate genome data from divergent animal species that have lost sexual reproduction independently and at different timescales to identify common trends of genomic adaptation to asexuality. Genome sequencing of related sexual lineages will further allow pinpointing differences in genome contents, features and genomic selection landscapes under sex vs asex.
