Final answer:
John Maynard Smith developed a null model to answer the question of whether sexual or asexual reproduction is better, and sexual reproduction provides variations through meiosis and genetic recombination, leading to an adaptive advantage.
Step-by-step explanation:
Renowned evolutionary biologist John Maynard Smith created a null model to answer the question of whether asexual or sexual reproduction is preferable from an evolutionary standpoint. Smith introduced the idea of the "two-fold cost of sex" in his seminal work.
When it comes to sexual and asexual reproduction, the null model acts as a reference point because it makes the assumption that everything else is equal.
According to the theory known as the "two-fold cost of sex," whereas all genes are handed down to the next generation in asexually reproducing species, only half of an individual's genes are in a population that reproduces sexually. In terms of gene transmission, this could be detrimental to sexual reproduction.