Scientists have discovered that female crocodiles can lay eggs without mating, suggesting a reproductive strategy that may have originated during the dinosaur era.
In 2018, a female American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) that had been kept in captivity for 16 years surprised researchers by laying a clutch of eggs, one of which contained a recognizable fetus a female, just like her mother.
Genetic Analysis Reveals Parthenogenesis in Crocodiles
A group of US scientists conducted genetic analyses, revealing that the crocodile had produced the eggs through parthenogenesis, commonly known as virgin births, without any contribution from a male mate. While the eggs did not hatch, this discovery sheds light on an extraordinary reproductive strategy within a new branch of the animal kingdom.
This finding of parthenogenesis in crocodiles, as well as in birds, suggests that their ancient ancestors, the dinosaurs, might have possessed similar reproductive abilities. Crocodiles and birds belong to a reptilian clade called archosaurs, which also included dinosaurs and flying reptiles in the past.
The researchers, led by evolutionary biologist Warren Booth from Virginia Tech, suggest that this discovery provides intriguing insights into the reproductive capabilities of the extinct archosaurian relatives of crocodilians and birds, particularly members of Pterosauria and Dinosauria.
Read more: Pentagon’s Alleged UFO Technology Weapons Project Unveiled By Whistleblower
Exploring Evolutionary Dynamics
Interestingly, recent observations of captive-bred Californian condors have indicated that these critically endangered birds can reproduce independently, even in the presence of fertile males.
The genetic analysis of the stillborn crocodile fetus, compared to its mother, revealed nearly identical genotypes, suggesting that terminal fusion automixis was the reproductive mechanism in this instance of parthenogenesis.
Similar mechanisms have been observed in studies of birds, snakes, and lizards. The researchers conclude that parthenogenesis is likely a trait inherited from a distant common ancestor of these lineages.
However, further research is necessary to fully examine the evolutionary distribution and dynamics of facultative parthenogenesis across deeper evolutionary time.
Terminal fusion automixis represents one method by which virgin births occur. In this process, a female fuses an egg, containing half of her chromosomes, with another type of haploid cell known as the polar body, which are remnants from the ovaries’ regular egg production.
This fusion involves a slight reshuffling of genetic material to compensate for the absence of sperm, resulting in offspring that are almost genetic clones of their mothers.
Read more: Surprise Scam: Donald Trump’s Supporters Shocked By Deceptive Nature Of Trump Bucks
