Italian shark has virgin birth

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 italian shark has virgin birth 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.

The process of giving birth without mating — known as parthenogenesis — has intrigued scientists in the last two decades. A number of animals in both the wild and in captivity have been documented in recent years to have undergone parthenogenesis, including birds, non-avian reptiles, snakes, and lizards, and is relatively rare for complex vertebrates like sharks to have such virgin births. The epaulette sharks are nocturnal creatures found in the warm and relatively shallow waters from the southern coast of New Guinea to the northern coast of Australia. They can reach about 2. On August 23, the Brookfield Zoo became one of only two facilities to have had successful hatching of epaulette shark pups produced by such an asexual reproduction process.

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.

A study published in the Journal of Fish Biology in November revealed a female endangered zebra shark at Shedd Aquarium in Italian shark has virgin birth gave birth to offspring without having mated, despite the presence of healthy males of the same species in the same tank. A shark's rare "virgin birth" in an Italian aquarium may be the first of its kind, scientists say. Alia Shoaib.

A baby shark has been born in a Chicago aquarium asexually, with her mother having not mated with any of the males present in her tank. A study published in the Journal of Fish Biology in November revealed a female endangered zebra shark at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago gave birth to offspring without having mated, despite the presence of healthy males of the same species in the same tank. 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. Asexual reproduction is a common method of making new individuals across all of life: bacteria, plants, fungi and less complex animals frequently use this method of reproduction. Virgin birth, or parthenogenesis , is the process in which organisms, usually vertebrates animals with backbones , reproduce asexually, by giving birth to young using an unfertilized egg cell in a female animal. All of these offspring are female. The researchers found out that the Chicago zebra sharks were giving birth via parthenogenesis after genetically testing the offspring, which was originally meant to help the successful breeding of the endangered species.

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. In aquariums, separation from males or long periods of isolation can trigger this natural response in females, Chapman said.

Italian shark has virgin birth

Over the last three decades, Italy has only seen ten shark sightings. Most are deep-sea species, so you will likely avoid running into one while swimming close to the shore. Are Sharks Endangered?

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Another case of a shark "virgin birth" occurred in an Italian aquarium in , where a female smoothhound shark gave birth to a baby despite having spent 10 years sharing her tank with only one other female shark. Scientists say dehydrating the stratosphere could be plausible option to combat climate change. There are two types of parthenogenesis: apomixis, a form of cloning common among plants, and automixis, a form of self-fertilization that more closely resembles sexual reproduction, according to National Geographic. We are looking forward to guests being able to see the pup. Top stories. 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. Related: Hail Mary! Instead of mating, a zebra shark used her own genetic material to fertilize two eggs, Shedd Aquarium officials announced this week in a release. Portugal: A dispute over octopus fishery. Mammals cannot reproduce asexually , because mammals, including humans, require certain genes to come from sperm. Lone orca kills great white shark in less than 2 minutes by ripping out its liver. But they did match the female that laid the eggs," Kevin Feldheim, a researcher at Chicago's Field Museum and the lead author of the study, said in a statement. For scientists studying endangered sharks in the wild and in aquariums, understanding reproduction will help conservation strategies. While this phenomenon has previously been seen in sharks, it is rare, and even rarer to be seen when males are available to mate with. Reach her at nalund usatoday.

A starry smoothound shark Mustelus asterias , a near relative of the smoothhound shark.

A baby shark has been born in an all-female tank at an Italian aquarium. For scientists studying endangered sharks in the wild and in aquariums, understanding reproduction will help conservation strategies. 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. The researchers found out that the Chicago zebra sharks were giving birth via parthenogenesis after genetically testing the offspring, which was originally meant to help the successful breeding of the endangered species. Languages: English. 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. 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. My Turn. Here's some creepy footage of what that looks like. Her work has appeared in The Guardian and the health website Zoe. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors. It has been observed in birds, sharks, lizards and snakes in captivity — and in June, scientists recorded the first ever virgin birth in a crocodile. 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.