This change would reduce both the number of ascospores by giving much less time for mitosis to produce more hyphae and less genetic diversity since genetic recombination occurs individually in each ascus. Fewer ascu means less recombination and, thus, less genetic diversity.
Work Step by Step
Review earlier material on meiosis and recombination generating genetic diversity. Also, look at the life cycle in Fig. 31.16 to see that the delay after plasmogamy allows for mitotic production of many dikaryotic hyphae and, thus, many asci.