''Rotaria'' is a genus of

asexual Asexual or Asexuals may refer to: *Asexual reproduction **Asexual reproduction in starfish *Asexuality, the lack of sexual attraction to anyone or lack of interest in or desire for sexual activity. **Gray asexuality, the spectrum between asexualit ...

, microscopic animal known as a bdelloid rotifer. Analysis published in 2007 of morphology and DNA sequence data of species from the genus confirmed that despite their asexual mechanism of

reproduction Reproduction (or procreation or breeding) is the biological process by which new individual organisms – "offspring" – are produced from their "parent" or parents. There are two forms of reproduction: Asexual reproduction, asexual and Sexual ...

, two fundamental properties of

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

, independent evolution and ecological divergence by

natural selection Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in the Heredity, heritable traits characteristic of a population over generation ...

occurred. This demonstrates that sex is not a necessary condition for speciation.Independently Evolving Species in Asexual Bdelloid Rotifers
Fontaneto D, Herniou EA, Boschetti C, Caprioli M, Melone G, et al. PLoS Biology Vol. 5, No. 4, e87

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2168039 Bdelloidea Rotifer genera