A reproductive pattern where an organism produces different forms or types of offspring at different times, often alternating between sexual and asexual reproduction.
From Greek 'hetero-' (different) and '-gony' (reproduction, generation). This biological term was coined in the 1800s to describe alternating reproductive methods observed in insects and plants.
Rotifers (tiny aquatic animals) master heterogony by reproducing asexually when food is plentiful, then switching to sexual reproduction when conditions get tough—it's evolution's way of betting on survival!
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