What needs to be different in order for a parthenogenetically reproducing species to evolve sentience?

I am specifically interested in a form of reproductive cycle something like that of aphids on earth, where several generations of female-only parthenogenesis go by, followed by a generation being born consisting of both males and females capable of sexual reproduction. That is, the type of complex reproductive cycle known as heterogamy, although confusingly this term is also used for other things in biology.

On earth so far as I know this particular type of cycle only takes place among insects, although I am aware that you can get occasional "virgin births" among some vertebrates e.g. turkeys and komodo dragons.

We are talking about an alien species on an alien world, so you wouldn't expect to see things like DNA, chromosomes, etc. However I am assuming that they have evolved mechanisms to do broadly the same jobs, and have something like male and female.

The question is, what would be different about that world compared to Earth, or the evolutionary history of that species compared to humans, in order for a parthenogenetically reproducing species to become dominant sentients like homo sapiens did on Earth? I suppose a nearly-equivalent question is why parthenogenesis is so rare among larger and more intelligent animals on Earth.

posted over 9 years ago

Lostinfrance‭

1 reputation 4 0 0 0