Abstract:
Clonal reproduction is common in fungi and fungal-like organisms during epidemics and invasion events. The
success of clonal fungi shaped systems for their classification and some pathogens are tacitly treated as asexual.
We argue that genetic recombination driven by sexual reproduction must be a starting hypothesis when dealing
with fungi for two reasons: (1) Clones eventually crash because they lack adaptability; and (2) fungi find a way to
exchange genetic material through recombination, whether sexual, parasexual, or hybridisation. Successful clones
may prevail over space and time, but they are the product of recombination and the next successful clone will
inevitably appear. Fungal pathogen populations are dynamic rather than static, and they need genetic
recombination to adapt to a changing environment.
