Question

Polyploidy in animals is rare because?

1) Recombination between parents ensures diploidy in offspring
2) They frequently have temperature-dependent sex determination
3) Diploid gametes that combine with haploids produce an unstable triploid that does not survive
4) They are not as promiscuous as plants or fungi

Answer 1

Polyploid animals are rare because they are sterile due to meiosis not proceeding normally, resulting in aneuploid daughter cells. However, polyploidy is common in the plant kingdom, where polyploid plants tend to be larger and more robust than euploids. The correct option in response to why polyploidy in animals is rare is option 3: 'Diploid gametes that combine with haploids produce an unstable triploid that does not survive

Step-by-step explanation:

Polyploidy in animals is rare because diploid gametes that combine with haploids result in an unstable triploid, which does not survive. In other words, polyploidy resulting in triploid organisms leads to sterility due to abnormal meiotic division. The process of meiosis in polyploids typically generates aneuploid daughter cells that are not capable of producing viable zygotes. Conversely, polyploidy in plants is common and these organisms are often larger and more robust than their diploid counterparts. This contrast emphasizes how polyploidy can be more of an adaptation in plants, whereas it leads to reproductive issues in animals.

Therefore, the correct option in response to why polyploidy in animals is rare is option 3: 'Diploid gametes that combine with haploids produce an unstable triploid that does not survive'.