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Some animals can have babies without the need to mate . conversationally called a " virgin birth , " this fall out through a process calledparthenogenesis , wherein a female animalcreates an fertilized egg from an unimpregnated ballock . The materialisation be given to be only one sex — all male or all female .
When an animate being exclusively reproduces this way , the process is called obligate parthenogenesis . For animals that usually reproduce sexually this process is called facultative parthenogenesis . Such optional parthenogenesis is usually very rarified .
From left to right, a California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), a black tip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and a Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis). Virgin births have been recorded in all these species.
From stick insects to sharks , here are eight animals that have pure births
Komodo dragon
Scientists first discover that the Komodo dragon ( Varanus komodoensis ) could havevirgin births in 2006 . At the metre , only two Komodo Dragons lived in Europe . One of these tartar , a female at the Chester Zoo in the U.K. gave birth to a clutch of 25 eggs , despite never being in any contact with males .
Sharks
One ordinary morn atOmaha ’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium , zookeepers were stupefied to find a 6.5 inch ( 16.5 cm ) adolescent shark in a tank containing three distaff shovelhead shark ( Sphyrna tiburo ) . None of the female bonnet shark had ever been break to male of the species within imprisonment , and they bore no mating scars from unlike species within the army tank .
unwritten births like this one were onceexplained by the female ’s ability to stash away sperm for long periods of fourth dimension after being taken from the wild . However , the distaff bonnetheads were collected from the savage three years prior and well before sexual maturity , so scientists ruled out this account . This incidentgenetically confirmed , for the first timethat sharks undergo parthenogeny .
Since then virgin birth have been seen inzebra sharks(Stegostoma tigrinum),black peak Rand sharks(Carcharhinus melanopterus ) and smooth - hound shark ( Mustelus genus Mustelus ) .
Researchers discovered Komodo dragons could reproduce without males only in 2006.
California condor
No thank you ! Even when housed with males , critically peril female California condors ( Gymnogyps californianus ) sometimes choose to have baby themselves .
In hopes of help oneself the population rebound , researchers at San Diego Zoohoused distaff condor with a fertile male . But apparently the male person was n’t necessary : Geneticists examine desoxyribonucleic acid samples within the labdiscovered two male chicksthat carried two identical written matter of their female parent ’s DNA .
Stick insects
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A bonnethead shark at an aquarium in Nebraska was found to have given birth with no exposure to males.
Unlike other beast , virgin birth in reefer louse is not uncommon . In fact , creatures within the genusTimemareproduce exclusively in this way — and have done so for a million years .
But having babies without sex is n’t idealistic : In the long run , asexual reproduction cannegatively affect the animals’ability to adjust to change environments over time . So how haveTimemainsects been able-bodied to survive for so long ?
A study published in September in the journalProceedings of the Royal Society Blooked at eight population of four species — Timema genevievae , T. shepardi , T. monikensisandT. douglasi .
California condors are now known to reproduce without males, even when they are present.
It turned out that sneak sexual practice was behind their long - condition viability : two of the four species now and then resort to sexual reproduction , make variety in the factor syndicate and limiting the hazard .
Blind snake
The brahminy unsighted snake ( Ramphotyphlops braminus ) is another species thought to only regurgitate asexually . Only distaff individuals of this specieshave ever been found .
Tardigrades
Tardigradesare aquatic , microscopical creatures know for their power to withstand extreme conditions . These chubby water bears can go both ways , reproducing both sexually and asexually . However , virgin birth is only plebeian in lake and mundane habitat .
Crocodiles
This year scientists described thefirst known case of a virgin crocodile birthing . After spending 16 years aside from other male , a female American crocodile ( Crocodylus acutus ) bring forth a clutch of 14 eggs .
The distaff crocodile come at the Costa Rican zoo , Parque Reptilandia , in 2002 . She spent all her sentence after that alone in her enclosure .
While the crocodile could produce fertilized eggs solo , the eggs were n’t ultimately viable . Out of the 14 , only seven recrudesce when incubated . After incubation , only one egg had a in full formed fetus , but the baby crocodile was wear dead . deoxyribonucleic acid psychoanalysis of the fetus confirmed agenetic match of over 99.9%with the female crocodile .
Stick insects don’t need males to reproduce.
Mollyfish
One of the most idea - blow out types of parthenogenesis is the spermatozoan - hooked parthenogeny shown by Amazon molly ( Poecilia formosa ) These mollies are named after theall - female tribe in Greek mythologythat only used human race for replication , killing boy at birth . Like their namesake , the all - female Amazon mollies depend on sperm from male to spark off the formation of a fertilized egg . But there ’s a catch : the males come from other related to mintage andcontribute no genetic materialto the egg .
range of a function capture a starving Leo , fighting bison and pit of vipers honored in environmental photography honor
Hoatzin : The foreign ' hoatzin ' born with clawed wings that looks like an evolutionary ' orphan '
Researchers have never identified a male blind snake.
The constant surveillance of forward-looking life history could aggravate our brain function in path we do n’t full sympathise , stir up studies advise
Tardigrades can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
Scientists announced a virgin birth in an American crocodile in Costa Rica in June 2023.
