Italian shark has virgin birth

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. Italian shark has virgin birth 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 Scienceincluding sharks, fish, and reptiles.

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.

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. 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. Mourning Mauyak: Chicago aquarium's beluga whale 'ambassador' who touched millions dies at Bear killed after attacking zookeeper: Bear fatally shot after escaping Florida zoo exhibit, attacking zookeeper. Watson said the study is just the beginning of researchers understanding the occurrence of the genetic phenomenon in zebra sharks. Bubble's isn't the first shark to give birth through parthenogenesis. Several others have done so including one in an Australian aquarium back in

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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.

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. Subscribe to our newsletter. This is an excerpt.

Italian shark has virgin birth

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. Scientists notice parthenogenesis occurring most often in carpet sharks, particularly white-spotted bamboo sharks Chiloscyllium plagiosum and zebra sharks Stegostoma tigrinum , because they are common aquarium species. However, parthenogenesis occurs in both oviparous egg-laying sharks, like carpet sharks, and viviparous live-birthing sharks, like smoothhound sharks, Chapman said. In the wild, parthenogenesis may be a last resort for females that cannot find a mate, either because they have been separated from others in their species or because human impacts, such as climate change and overfishing, or natural selection pressures, such as predation and disease, have wiped out all the available males.

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Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter. But because they are only made from one gamete , not two, parthenogenetic offspring are more closely related to their mother than normal babies are, Dudgeon said. James Webb telescope spots trouble in Orion Nebula: Stellar winds are eroding planet-forming material around a young star. Share icon An curved arrow pointing right. Lone orca kills great white shark in less than 2 minutes by ripping out its liver. This is called parthenogenesis. Lone orca kills great white shark in less than 2 minutes by ripping out its liver. Premium Subscription. 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. Trending Antarctica What causes tinnitus? Most Popular. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies.

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.

Besides writing, she enjoys playing tennis, bread-making and browsing second-hand shops for hidden gems. They had identical copies of some alleles, or alternative versions of a gene. 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. Sign up. But thanks to an alert staff member, the horn shark — called Miss Helen — is back in its petting tank. Record-smashing Chinese maglev hyperloop train hits mph and could someday outpace a plane. Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. Asexual reproduction —creating offspring that are genetically identical to the parent without mating—is common in many invertebrate organisms, but is less frequently seen in vertebrates like sharks unless there is an absence of partners to reproduce sexually with, as a kind of biological "Hail Mary. You can opt-out at any time. Her work has appeared in The Guardian and the health website Zoe. Facebook Email icon An envelope. Languages: English. Copy Link. The following year her daughter from her previous mate was added to the tank.