The key difference between panmictic and apomictic species is that panmictic species are all potential mating partners since there are no behavioural or genetic mating restrictions while apomictic species bypass meiosis and fertilization during the formation of seeds asexually.
Panmictic and apomictic species are two categories of organisms. Panmixia is the random mating of individuals in a population. Therefore, species that show random mating is known as panmictic species. They don’t have genetic or behavioural restrictions in the interbreeding. Apomixis is a mode of asexual reproduction which produces seeds without fertilization. It is an unusual reproductive mode. Hence, apomictic species are the species that show apomixis.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Panmictic Species
3. What is Apomictic Species
4. Similarities Between Panmictic and Apomictic Species
5. Side by Side Comparison – Panmictic vs Apomictic Species in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What are Panmictic Species?
Panmixis refers to random mating. In a panmictic population, sexual activities are entirely random among individuals. Any male or female are equally likely to mate. There are no mating restrictions within the population. Therefore, there are no behavioural or genetic restrictions. All panmictic species are equally potential mating partners. Mating takes place among the individuals regardless of any physical, genetic or social preference. Therefore, the individual has an equal chance of being selected as a mating partner.
Figure 01: Panmictic Species
Any panmictic species can select a partner from the population. Since they interbreed within the population, the population remains genetically uniform over time.
What are Apomictic Species?
Apomictic species are plant species that show apomixis. Apomixis is a form of asexual reproduction which bypasses the most fundamental aspects such as meiosis and fertilization of sexual reproduction during the formation of viable seeds. Therefore, apomictic plants can produce seeds without fertilization or syngamy. The seed genotype is consistent with the female parent.
Figure 02: Apomictic Species
In agriculture, apomixis allows new varieties to retain valuable traits. Tn apomictic plants, genetic recombination does not take place. The egg cell is produced through mitosis in apomictic plants. Then it develops into an embryo without syngamy. Apomictic plant species exceed 400 genera.
What are the Similarities Between Panmictic and Apomictic Species?
- Plants and animals show both panmixis and apomixis.
- Both species are capable of producing offspring.
What is the Difference Between Panmictic and Apomictic Species?
Panmictic species are the species that show random mating while apomictic species are the species that produce seeds via asexual reproduction. So, this is the key difference between panmictic and apomictic species. Panmixis involves sexual reproduction while apomixis is a form of sexual reproduction or vegetative reproduction.
Moreover, in panmictic species, offspring develop from fertilized eggs while in apomictic species, offspring develop from unfertilized eggs. Also, panmictic species undergo meiosis and fertilization while apomictic species reproduce without undergoing meiosis and fertilization. Thus, this is another difference between panmictic and apomictic species.
Below infographic tabulates more differences between panmictic and apomictic species.
Summary – Panmictic vs Apomictic Species
Panmictic species reproduce via sexual reproduction while apomictic species reproduce via asexual reproduction. Apomictic plants produce asexual seeds without fertilization. Panmictic species show random mating and they interbreed without any restrictions and the eggs undergo fertilization. Apomictic species conserve the identical genotype of the parent. The eggs are produced without meiosis in apomictic species, unlike in panmictic species, which produce eggs by meiosis. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between panmictic and apomictic species.
Reference:
1. “Panmixia”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2020, Available here.
2. B. Agashe, CK. Prasad, et al. “The Steps from Sexual Reproduction to Apomixis.” Planta, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 1 Jan. 1970, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Pantala flavescens-Kadavoor-2017-05-04-002” By © 2017 Jee & Rani Nature Photography (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Poa bulbosa, vegetative apomixis” By Nadiatalent – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia