In a plant with perfect flowers, is there an advantage to pollinating with another plant over self-pollinating?
Perfect flowers have both female and male reproductive structures (carpel and stamen, respectively) and therefore can self-pollinate. Plants are self-pollinated if pollination occurs within the same flower or within a different flower on the same plant. Many angiosperms have adopted self-pollination as a regular mode of reproduction, despite the genetic benefits of outcrossing, which is the cross-pollination between individuals of the same species. Self-pollination, which results in offspring populations with a high proportion of genetically similar individuals, can be advantageous under certain circumstances. For example, it may be desirable where an individual is well-suited to its environment. Another advantage is the lack of dependence on animals or other pollination agents. However, there are also benefits to outcrossing. Primarily, outcrossing provides the greatest opportunity for variability in a species and, therefore, enhanced adaptability and survival over generations.
