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Fig. 4 | Biology Direct

Fig. 4

From: Evolutionary consequences of polyploidy in prokaryotes and the origin of mitosis and meiosis

Fig. 4

Proportion of cells with different ploidy in a population of cells capable of unequal chromosome distribution during cell division. Cells with the highest ploidy outcompete all the others. Average ploidy hence approaches the allowed maximum (in this case, P max  = 6), even if this eventually results in extinction. In this case, the population initially consists of 2000 obligate monoploids (M) and 2000 cells of variable ploidy. The latter are initially monoploid (V1). Occasionally (with probability Q = 0.2) they produce offspring with one extra chromosome (V2 … V6); if parent’s ploidy P > 1, one of its offspring with 20 % probability gets P-1 chromosomes, and the other gets P + 1 (see ‘Description of the model’ for more technical details). All other parameters as in Fig. 1. This model population died out after 677 generations, although it would survive indefinitely if changes of ploidy were not allowed and all cells remained monoploid

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