Oh Mother Mary: Crocodile Gives 'Virgin Birth' For The First Time In Recorded History, Proving That Nobody Needs Men Anymore
Yes, you heard us right, a female crocodile had a virgin birth after being isolated for 16 years. Now, crocodiles sometimes lay eggs anyway, without any male input, but the amazing thing is that one of the eggs was fertilized somehow. This process is called "parthenogenesis" - in which a female fuses its eggs with polar bodies — small cells containing chromosomes, which can generate a viable embryo. However, the egg is a 99% match to the mother, which makes it an interesting evolutionary advantage.
Although the hatchling didn't survive for very long, it suggests interesting theories about dinosaurs. With this recorded event, scientists are speculating that dinosaurs could also self-reproduce, which is basically the whole plot of Jurassic Park. Scroll down to read the whole story and some hilarious comments below!
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Well, we can go home and say that we learned something new today. If you already knew what parthenogenesis was, hats off to you. That's probably the biggest word we've said in a long time!
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We're no expert on crocodiles (RIP Steve Irwin), but she just looks like a normal crocodile to us. It's crazy that she was able to make a 99% identical clone of herself…all by herself!
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