Evolution of sexual reproduction

Sexual reproduction is a way for animals, plants and some other organisms to make more of their kind. Two parents make a child by combining their genetic material together. Over thousands of years, animals have evolved to use this kind of reproduction to make more of their kind. Before sexual reproduction, the only way for animals to make more of their kind was a process called asexual reproduction. This is where an animal makes a copy of itself without needing another animal to join in. While asexual reproduction can be a fast way to make lots of animals, it doesn't help an animal to change or adapt as quickly as sexual reproduction can. With sexual reproduction, two separate animals come together and make a baby. This baby is different from either of its parents because their genes mix together. This makes it so that each new baby has different traits than either of its parents. That means the animals can adapt and change to the environment around them more easily. So, over time, sexual reproduction has helped animals become better equipped to deal with their environment and be more successful at surviving and reproducing.