The Evolution of Sex Chromosomes through the Baldwin Effect
This addresses a fundamental question in evolutionary biology for researchers studying sex chromosome evolution, but it appears incremental as it builds on prior suggestions about the Baldwin effect in sex.
The paper tackled the problem of explaining the emergence of sex determination systems in eukaryotic evolution by applying the Baldwin effect and the NK model of fitness landscapes, showing that this view can account for the evolution of sex chromosomes.
It has recently been suggested that the fundamental haploid-diploid cycle of eukaryotic sex exploits a rudimentary form of the Baldwin effect. Thereafter the other associated phenomena can be explained as evolution tuning the amount and frequency of learning experienced by an organism. Using the well-known NK model of fitness landscapes it is here shown that the emergence of sex determination systems can also be explained under this view of eukaryotic evolution.