Oh Mother Mary: Crocodile Gives 'Virgin Birth' For The First Time In Recorded History, Proving That Nobody Needs Men Anymore

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Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Jun 18, 2023 2:00 PM EDT

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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  • 01
    Dog - SCIENCE For The First Time In History, A Crocodile Gave 'Virgin Birth' By Laying Eggs Without A Mate
    via all_thats_interesting
  • 02
    Font - all_thats_interesting For the first have time ever, researchers observed a crocodile undergo a "virgin birth" after a female American Crocodile laid a clutch of eggs through parthenogenesis, a process in which a female fuses its eggs with cell division byproducts called polar bodies — small cells containing chromosomes. Now,
    via all_thats_interesting

    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!

  • 03
    Font - containing chromosomes. Now, given the asexual reproduction ability of birds and crocodiles, researchers believe it is likely that their common ancestors - dinosaurs and pterosaurs - possessed the ability to reproduce asexually as well.
    via all_thats_interesting
  • 04
    Water
    via All Canada Photos/Alamy Stock Photo

    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!

  • 05
    Font - The crocodile had lived by herself for 16 years before laying 14 eggs in her enclosure. Zookeepers were shocked to find that some of them were viable.
    via Amber Breese
  • 06
    Font - And while female crocodiles can lay sterile eggs, the zookeepers were shocked to find that at least seven eggs were fertile, ABC News reports. When they put the viable eggs in an incubator, only one continued to develop but eventually stopped. The zookeepers later opened up the egg to find a well-formed, stillborn female crocodile. With news that a female crocodile laid a viable egg without a mate, researchers began investigating.
    via Amber Breese
  • 07
    Font - In a virgin birth, a female fuses its eggs with polar bodies - small cells containing chromosomes. Typically, polar bodies are byproducts of eggs dividing during reproduction and simply wither away. But in animals capable of parthenogenesis, the polar bodies fuse with the dividing eggs, making the foundation for a viable fetus. The research into parthenogenesis in crocodiles also revealed interesting hypotheses about the ability of other, long- extinct animals to asexually reproduce.
    via Amber Breese
  • 08
    Font - "This new evidence offers tantalizing insights into the possible reproductive capabilities of extinct archosaurian relatives of crocodilians, notably the Pterosauria and Dinosauria," the study detailed. Given the asexual reproduction ability of birds and crocodiles, it is likely that their common ancestors — dinosaurs and pterosaurs - possessed the ability to reproduce asexually as well.
    via Amber Breese
  • 09
    White - crown reptilia Archelosauria 280 260 Archosauria 245 Avemetatarsalia 240 160 Ma lizards snakes crocodiles birds
    via Booth et al./Biology Letters, 2023
  • 10
    Font - aye_a_run Anybody who ever seen Jurassic park feeling smarter than modern scientists because of this post
    via aye_a_run
  • 11
    Font - giuseppe_marino Just here for the I don't need no man comments
    via giuseppe_marino
  • 12
    Font - thorn.wolf New religion unlocked
    via thorn.wolf
  • 13
    Smile - wulvzeye That's can't be good for Christianity a
    via wulvzeye

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Tags

Babies crocodile news reptile evolution history virgin interesting true story amazing birth story animals
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