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 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. The adult female shark reached sexual maturity at 3, and was only 7 years old when she began laying eggs.

Italian shark has virgin birth

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. However, one clutch of eggs confused the scientists, as it only contained the genetic information of one of the sharks, not two. 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. 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.

He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist.

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.

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.

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? The 10 Smallest Species Of Sharks. Shark Meat: Delicacy Or Dangerous? A Timeline Of Shark Evolution. Hammerhead Shark. Greenland Shark.

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We finally know why humans don't have tails. One of those barriers is not being able to access the DNA of all of all adults and offspring to find biological parents. 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. 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. Bear killed after attacking zookeeper: Bear fatally shot after escaping Florida zoo exhibit, attacking zookeeper. Portugal: A dispute over octopus fishery. The adult female shark reached sexual maturity at 3, and was only 7 years old when she began laying eggs. Why do whales swim differently from sharks? Premium Subscription. The process of giving birth without mating — known as parthenogenesis — has intrigued scientists in the last two decades. Languages: English. You can opt-out at any time. But it is likely that most species can probably do it, he added.

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.

Marine biologists at the Italian aquarium have sent DNA samples to a laboratory to confirm that Ispera was born through parthenogenesis, the New York Post reported. Israel at War. 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. Usually these polar bodies are simply reabsorbed by the female. 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. 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. Thanks for signing up! In sharks, asexual reproduction usually happens via a process called "automictic parthenogenesis," explained Feldheim. 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 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. He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist. Their genetic tests are part of a Species Survival Plan , or SSP, which brings together expert advisors to maximize genetic diversity and protect endangered species long-term. Mourning Mauyak: Chicago aquarium's beluga whale 'ambassador' who touched millions dies at