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#parthenogenesis

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In most organisms eggs are produced by splitting the number of chromosomes (carrying the genetic material of the DNA) that occur in most cells in an animal’s body, to half the normal number. Only after fertilization by sperm (also with the split half number of chromosomes) is the full complement restored. In #parthenogenesis, no reduction splitting occurs, all eggs are full-chromosome clones of the mother, and all will also be female.

Sex as a formality: Male stick #insects have lost their reproductive function
phys.org/news/2025-02-sex-form

Lack of successful sexual reproduction suggests the irreversible #parthenogenesis in a stick insect esajournals.onlinelibrary.wile

"While most #animals reproduce sexually, some species rely solely on females for parthenogenetic reproduction. Even in these, rare males occasionally appear. Whether they retain reproductive functions is a key question in the #evolution of reproductive strategies."

Recent updates in #parthenogenesis: in a Japanese species of stick insect that relies on parthenogenesis for reproduction, the rare males mated with females but pointlessly. The males are sterile and none of their genes are passed along. "Surprisingly, the rare males of this stick insect have completely lost their reproductive function," remarked Dr. Kaneko.
phys.org/news/2025-02-sex-form

Phys.org · Sex as a formality: Study shows male stick insects have lost their reproductive functionBy National Institutes of Natural Sciences

Weekend #Plankton #Factoid 🦠🦐
Today I spotlight a globally distributed genus of freshwater #cladoceran #zooplankton. Bosmina are a small herbivorous #zooplankton. They are hardy and successful because they can reproduce using #parthenogenesis and mature in just 3-5 days. They feed on #algae and protozoa using two mechanisms: spines on 2nd and 3rd legs create a mesh to filter small particles, or using their 1st leg to grasp large particles. They also resemble little elephants. :mastodon: #science

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🦎 Did you know some lizards can reproduce without males? It's called parthenogenesis! 🤯 Nature's way of saying "who needs men?" 😂 These all-female species are like real-life wonder women! 💪🦸‍♀️

nationalgeographic.com/animals

www.nationalgeographic.com · How some animals have ‘virgin births’: Parthenogenesis explainedBy Corryn Wetzel

Weekend #Plankton #Factoid 🦐🦠
Like many #cladoceran #zooplankton, #Daphnia species usually reproduce by a process known as cyclical #parthenogenesis. This strategy is typically a long period of all-female asexual parthenogenetic reproduction for rapid population growth, but under stressful conditions, is followed by production of males and sexual mating to produce resistant tolerant resting eggs called #ephippia. These eggs can last for centuries in the sediment, and still be able to hatch out!

Higgamus, hoggamus,
Mary of Nazareth
Said, "As the virginal
Mother of God,

I'm as proficient at
Parthenogenesis
As a stingray, amoeba,
Or gasteropod."

scientificamerican.com/article

(apologies to my Uncle Ted who rhymed up an original #doubledactyl #parthenogenesis #poem decades before I added stingrays to the mix today [edit: ted was reciting Hecht/Hollander to young me, see my reply comment]

Scientific AmericanHow Did an Aquarium Stingray Get Pregnant without a MateCharlotte, a stingray in a small North Carolina aquarium, is taking a DIY approach to reproduction