parthenogenesis
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parthenogenesis
you dont use it, you lose it.
by AP
The joint Northern Ireland-U.S. research, being published Wednesday in the Royal Society's peer-reviewed Biology Letters journal, analyzed the DNA of a shark born in 2001 in the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Neb.
The shark was born in a tank with three potential mothers, none of whom had contact with a male hammerhead for at least three years. Analysis of its DNA found no trace of any chromosomal contribution from a male partner.
Shark experts said this was the first confirmed case in a shark of parthenogenesis, which is derived from Greek and means "virgin birth."
Asexual reproduction is common in some insect species, rarer in reptiles and fish, and has never been do***ented in mammals (with one exception 2007 years ago that remains contraversial to this day).
The list of animals do***ented as capable of the feat has grown as more are raised in captivity — but until now, sharks were not considered a likely candidate.
Birds do it, reptiles do it, amphibians do it, fishes do it and now sharks are known to do it," said Bob Hueter, director of the Center for Shark Research at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Fla
But Hueter said he doubted it was happening anywhere besides in captivity. He also argued that the power to self-impregnate represents "an evolutionary strategy to keep the population and species going when all else fails."
The joint Northern Ireland-U.S. research, being published Wednesday in the Royal Society's peer-reviewed Biology Letters journal, analyzed the DNA of a shark born in 2001 in the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Neb.
The shark was born in a tank with three potential mothers, none of whom had contact with a male hammerhead for at least three years. Analysis of its DNA found no trace of any chromosomal contribution from a male partner.
Shark experts said this was the first confirmed case in a shark of parthenogenesis, which is derived from Greek and means "virgin birth."
Asexual reproduction is common in some insect species, rarer in reptiles and fish, and has never been do***ented in mammals (with one exception 2007 years ago that remains contraversial to this day).
The list of animals do***ented as capable of the feat has grown as more are raised in captivity — but until now, sharks were not considered a likely candidate.
Birds do it, reptiles do it, amphibians do it, fishes do it and now sharks are known to do it," said Bob Hueter, director of the Center for Shark Research at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Fla
But Hueter said he doubted it was happening anywhere besides in captivity. He also argued that the power to self-impregnate represents "an evolutionary strategy to keep the population and species going when all else fails."