Italian shark has virgin birth

Instead of mating, a zebra shark used her own genetic material to fertilize two eggs, Shedd Aquarium officials announced this week in a release.

A shark's rare "virgin birth" in an Italian aquarium may be the first of its kind, scientists say. The female baby smoothhound shark Mustelus mustelus — known as Ispera, or "hope" in Maltese — was recently born at the Cala Gonone Aquarium in Sardinia to a mother that has spent the past decade sharing a tank with one other female and no males, Newsweek reported. This rare phenomenon, known as parthenogenesis, is the result of females' ability to self-fertilize their own eggs in extreme scenarios. Parthenogenesis has been observed in more than 80 vertebrate species — including sharks, fish and reptiles — but this may be the first documented occurrence in a smoothhound shark, according to Newsweek. Related: Hail Mary! But it is likely that most species can probably do it, he added.

Italian shark has virgin birth

Partnerless sex that is. Through a process called parthenogenesis , some female animals in 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. In , Watson and her colleagues moved a clutch of eggs to a baby shark nursery behind the scenes, where they could safely hatch beyond the limelight of an aquarium tank. They had identical copies of some alleles, or alternative versions of a gene. This showed that they were getting DNA strands from their mother rather than two different parents. Offspring born from parthenogenesis often die young, and the shark pups in this study only survived for a few months. The findings in zebra sharks have implications for not only the continued care of zebra sharks in zoos and aquariums, but also for conservation efforts focused on their wild counterparts. One of those barriers is not being able to access the DNA of all of all adults and offspring to find biological parents. For scientists studying endangered sharks in the wild and in aquariums, understanding reproduction will help conservation strategies.

But the newborn appears to be healthy, he said. Harry is a U.

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.

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. It isn't the first time parthenogenesis has been seen in sharks , and the process has been observed in a number of other shark species.

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. Between some modest creatures these types of as bees, wasps, and ants, this asexual replica is simpler. Even so, for vertebrates it can be very rare. Most recorded illustrations of vertebrates in captivity reproducing by parthenogenesis worry fish or sharks. There are two procedures by which parthenogenesis can occur. One is termed automixis. When egg cells are made via a procedure by meiosis, a byproduct cell acknowledged as a polar body is also generated.

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Epaulette sharks have been known to "walk" short distances across sandy seabeds — the species' preferred habitat — and to use their muscular pectoral fins to land on the seafloor, according to the statement. You may unsubscribe at any time. Scientists say it could be a rare case of a 'virgin birth', also known as parthenogenesis. Secret 'living fossil' tree planting Are dating apps addictive? Better Planet. This was the first time a vertebrate animals with backbones inside their body , which usually reproduces the conventional way with a mate, was found to reproduce asexually in the wild, Feldheim said. The baby's mother had been in the tank with one other female for ten years. Komodo dragons are one of a handful of vertebrate species who are capable of parthenogenesis - "virgin birth" - as well as sexual reproduction. Her work has appeared in The Guardian and the health website Zoe. Alia Shoaib. Show Caption. View offers. The year after being separated from her male mate, the older female shark didn't lay any eggs. But thanks to an alert staff member, the horn shark — called Miss Helen — is back in its petting tank.

A shark's rare "virgin birth" in an Italian aquarium may be the first of its kind, scientists say. The female baby smoothhound shark Mustelus mustelus — known as Ispera, or "hope" in Maltese — was recently born at the Cala Gonone Aquarium in Sardinia to a mother that has spent the past decade sharing a tank with one other female and no males, Newsweek reported.

Parthenogenesis is a rare phenomenon where an egg develops into an embryo without being fertilized by a sperm. Record-smashing Chinese maglev hyperloop train hits mph and could someday outpace a plane. Portugal: A dispute over octopus fishery In Portugal, octopus fishery is traditionally done with octopus pots. You can get in touch with Jess by emailing j. Most Popular. However, it is hard to pin down exactly why baby sharks die, whether they are parthenogenetic or not. Mammals cannot reproduce asexually , because mammals, including humans, require certain genes to come from sperm. It symobilizes a website link url. You can opt-out at any time. Fish are everything to him: his livelihood, his culture, and his tradition. Read preview. Home U. Share on Twitter. 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. Watson said the study is just the beginning of researchers understanding the occurrence of the genetic phenomenon in zebra sharks.