Dr Ann Jones

Kevin Tether is a recently retired professor who has a book out called The Evolution of Sex.

This is literally how many butts you have to sniff over how many days at the dog park to find the one.

That seems like an expensive sexual display, like the outfits you buy to go to the spring racing carnival.

Asexual organisms like bacteria or those lizards that can clone themselves, they don't have to worry about what they look like to their own species.

They have a high level of self-acceptance and self-respect and are not concerned with flashy tails, bright spots, clean underwear or large horns on hornbills.

Getting eaten while shagging.

The ultimate budget item line.

Yes, I am a woman.

I know this risk.

And then there's the potential cost of gene dilution.

This is sort of like where it's a group assignment, right?

But you're a bit worried that the other's contribution will not be up to scratch, because surely it'd just be better to do it all by yourself.

Okay, let me just total that up.

Oh, look, I can hear some of you in the back arguing that orgasms are priceless, like life is some sort of credit card advertisement.

But truly, if that was a partial list of operating costs of sex, would spending your life's energy savings on sex really be worth it?

What are the benefits of the vertical tango, all of this riding of the bony pony, all of this sex?

Including the flaws.

There's an idea that sexual reproduction acts as a sort of repair shop for DNA that might have mutated a little bit too much in the wrong way.

Combining with someone who hasn't mutated gives you a chance to fix up your bung bits.

And then some theories go a step further.