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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle

Readers reply: Why aren’t more animals hermaphrodites?

Two large Achatina snails on green moss.
Two giant African snails before mating.
 Photograph: Albert Yarullin/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Why aren’t more animals hermaphrodites? Snails and worms seem to have been successful using that method for sharing genes between any two individuals, but vertebrates evolved away from it. Why? Janet Lesley, Kent, UK

Send new questions to [email protected].

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