Researchers have discovered an astonishing study in which, for the first time, a virgin female alligator became pregnant without a male alligator. The resulting fetus is genetically identical to the female crocodile. Warren Booth, an evolutionary biologist from Virginia Tech, along with his team made this discovery. These findings were published in a journal published by the Royal Society, called Biology Letters.
In 2018, 14 eggs in the female’s aviary were found in Costa Rica alongside Reptilandia Park. Since the age of 2, the crocodile has been completely isolated. However, what is surprising is that she was still able to lay 18 eggs.
“During periods of separation from partners, these are often considered non-viable and discarded,” the researchers expressed. However, officials collected seven eggs that appeared to be alive and kept them in an incubator.
Booth also said that some signs could indicate that one of the eggs may actually be viable. “Viable eggs are usually bright white, while infertile eggs may be more yellowish in color,” the man elaborated. He added that “when examined with a flashlight, viable alligator eggs will have a distinct band, while nonviable eggs will only glow yellow.”
Experts specializing in parthenogenesis in the United States were contacted by Costa Rican officials for advice. The term parthenogenesis is derived from two Greek terms, “Parthenos” and “genesis”, which mean “Virgin” and “Origin”, respectively, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
Booth and Gordon Schuett (co-author) from Georgia State University have published many of their papers on this topic. These two have published so many articles on the subject that they have become the “go to” people for queries around the concept.
Wondering if virgin births are rare? Well, they were once considered rare, but those who study the subject know full well that there have been many documented cases of such virgin births from countless other species. These include snakes, sharks, sawfish, birds, etc. Virgin birth is actually more common in the insect and plant world than in any other organism, with female organisms having can reproduce itself without any fertilization from a male partner.
In 2021, a study showed that virgin births may also occur in California condors. Researchers working with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance claim that genetic testing has proven that two roosters hatched in 2001 and 2009 from unfertilized eggs are related. with mom. None of them are related to a man. In 2019, an anaconda kept with two females gave birth. DNA testing has proven that the tiny Anacondas were bred by parthenogenesis.
Speaking of Costa Rican crocodiles, three months later, workers retrieved the eggs but none of them hatched. Only one of the eggs contained a fully formed but nonviable fetus. DNA testing later proved that the fetus was indeed 99.9% genetically identical to the mother crocodile.
According to researchers, virgin births can take place in crocodiles without anyone noticing. The study writes that “these findings therefore suggest that eggs should be evaluated for their ability to survive in the absence of the male.”
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: pagasa.edu.vn