Final answer:
Sexual reproduction offers the key advantage of creating greater genetic variation among offspring, leading to enhanced survival in changing environments despite being more energy-intensive than asexual reproduction.
Step-by-step explanation:
One advantage of that it leads to greater variation in the offspring.
This genetic diversity is crucial because it can result in offspring with varied phenotypes, which increase the chances of survival in a changing environment.
Conversely, asexual reproduction produces genetically identical offspring which may all be susceptible to the same threats, such as diseases or environmental changes.
Sexual reproduction, despite its apparent costly nature, such as the need to find a mate, offers a significant evolutionary advantage by promoting diversity through the combination of genes.
This can lead to enhanced survival and adaptation abilities, outweighing the rapid reproduction rates typical of asexual reproduction.