Wednesday 12 September 2012

more animals found to give birth with no mate



Virgin births discovered in wild snakes
By Jeremy Coles Reporter, BBC Nature
A form of virgin birth has been found in wild vertebrates for the first time. Researchers in the US caught pregnant females from two snake species and genetically analysed the litters. That proved the North American pit vipers reproduced without a male, a phenomenon called facultative parthenogenesis that has previously been found only in captive species.Scientists say the findings could change our understanding of animal reproduction and vertebrate evolution. It was thought to be extremely rare for a normally sexual species to reproduce asexually. First identified in domestic chickens, such "virgin births" have been reported in recent years in a few snake, shark, lizard and bird species.

So for all those who say cryptids must have a breeding population..you could be wrong. It appears it is possible to have just one or two females who have virgin births to continue the species. Maybe Nessie is female after all.

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