Italian shark has virgin birth

Partnerless sex that is. Through a process called parthenogenesissome female animals italian shark has virgin birth the order elasmobranch that includes sharks, rays, and skates can fertilize an egg using their own genetic material. While previous studies have detailed parthenogenesis in zebra sharks at other aquariums, the report published in December in the Journal of Fish Biology is another step in understanding why these births happen.

Instead of mating, a zebra shark used her own genetic material to fertilize two eggs, Shedd Aquarium officials announced this week in a release. According to a study published in the Journal of Fish Biology , the shark, named Bubbles, reproduced some of her young through "virgin births. Bubbles gave birth to the pups in and through years of genetic testing, authorities were able to confirm she did it without a male shark. Aquarium officials released the details this week, in time for the holidays. The aquariums' Wild Reef exhibition includes a giant floor-to-ceiling habitat containing a variety of sharks, including Bubbles. Ironically, Bubbles had two male shark suitors in the tank with her before she became pregnant. But a analysis of the DNA of the shark pups showed they didn't match any of the mature male sharks in the enclosure.

Italian shark has virgin birth

The process of giving birth without mating — known as parthenogenesis — has intrigued scientists in the last two decades. A number of animals in both the wild and in captivity have been documented in recent years to have undergone parthenogenesis, including birds, non-avian reptiles, snakes, and lizards, and is relatively rare for complex vertebrates like sharks to have such virgin births. The epaulette sharks are nocturnal creatures found in the warm and relatively shallow waters from the southern coast of New Guinea to the northern coast of Australia. They can reach about 2. On August 23, the Brookfield Zoo became one of only two facilities to have had successful hatching of epaulette shark pups produced by such an asexual reproduction process. The adult female shark reached sexual maturity at 3, and was only 7 years old when she began laying eggs. She had not been housed with a male since arriving at the Brookfield Zoo in , zoo officials say. The shark began laying two to four eggs each month of which one was fertile and a pup hatched from it following a five-month incubation period, the zoo noted. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

Parthenogenesis is a rare phenomenon where an egg develops into an embryo without being fertilized by a sperm. The term comes from the Greek words parthenos, meaning "virgin," and genesis, meaning "origin. Besides writing, she enjoys playing tennis, bread-making and browsing second-hand shops for hidden gems.

Scientists say a rare shark "virgin birth" may be the first of its kind after a baby shark was born in an all-female tank in an Italian aquarium. Its mother had spent ten years living in a tank with one other female, the outlet said, and scientists suspect the newborn could be the first documented case of shark parthenogenesis in that species. Parthenogenesis is a rare phenomenon where an egg develops into an embryo without being fertilized by a sperm. The process has been observed in more than 80 vertebrate species, according to Live Science , including sharks, fish, and reptiles. He added that while sharks probably had the ability to do it, it was difficult to document in the wild. Chapman told Live Science that in the wild, parthenogenesis might be the last resort for females that cannot find a mate in situations of low population density. The response can also be triggered in captive sharks who are separated from males for long periods of time, he said.

Scientists at the Cala Gonone Aquarium on the Italian island of Sardinia say a female smooth-hound shark that's been living in an all-female shark tank for 10 years recently gave birth to a baby shark. The aquarium's press team told DW that they are currently waiting for a DNA analysis to confirm that what happened is a case of parthenogenesis. To procreate, most species require an egg to be fertilized by a sperm. That's the case with sharks, too. But some animals can produce offspring all by themselves. This is called parthenogenesis. The case in Italy could be the first time this "immaculate conception" has occurred in smooth-hound sharks, at least in captivity.

Italian shark has virgin birth

A starry smoothound shark Mustelus asterias , a near relative of the smoothhound shark. You will find a new newborn shark to rejoice at an aquarium in Sardinia, an island which is portion of the country of Italy. Whilst it is the 1st instance of solo creation of progeny documented in this precise shark species, a lot of other species have shown this exceptional scientific phenomenon.

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Facebook Twitter Email. But the newborn appears to be healthy, he said. There are two different types of parthenogenesis, according to National Geographic. Social Links Navigation. Sign up. Harry is a U. In The Magazine March 15 Issue. Better Planet. Related: Hail Mary! Already subscribed? Through genetic analysis she and her colleagues can make assumptions about how related an individual shark is to the whole group. They can reach about 2. Laura Baisas Laura is a science news writer, covering a wide variety of subjects, but she is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life.

Over the last three decades, Italy has only seen ten shark sightings.

He added that while sharks probably had the ability to do it, it was difficult to document in the wild. By Jess Thomson Science Reporter. Do you have a question about parthenogenesis? Most Popular. All of these offspring are female. Besides writing, she enjoys playing tennis, bread-making and browsing second-hand shops for hidden gems. Your daily briefing of everything you need to know. Sign up. Share Facebook Icon The letter F. As such, offspring produced by parthenogenesis may have a reduced chance of survival, Dudgeon added. Most Popular. Why do whales swim differently from sharks? A female shark at Brookfield Zoo in Illinois has birthed a pup despite having no contact with a male for four years, the zoo announced on Nov. More about Shark Zoo Birth. Nathan Rousseau Smith fantasticmrnate has the amazing story.