In one of the more startling scientific discoveries of late, two teams of researchers have found that a baby hammerhead born in a Nebraska aquarium six years ago was conceived via parthogenesis—i.e., without the genetic contribution of a male.
New York Times:
But through the analysis “it was pretty clear that there was no male contribution,” said Mahmood S. Shivji, director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute and author of a paper on the finding being published online today by the journal Biology Letters.
Instead, the female shark’s own genetic material combined during the process of cell division that produces an egg. A cell called the secondary oocyte, which contains half the female chromosomes and normally becomes the egg, fused with another cell called the secondary polar body, which contains the identical genetic material.
Robert E. Hueter, director of the Center for Shark Research at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Fla., said the finding helped fill a gap in understanding of parthenogenesis, which has been found to occur in most vertebrate lines except mammals and, until now, cartilaginous fishes like sharks.
“These guys have proven their case,” Dr. Hueter said of the researchers.
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By nelson, August 14, 2007 at 9:50 am Link to this comment
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Ya shure! I don’t beleive it.
Report thisHow do they know that she wasn’t carring an egg for a few years before it actually germinated. Sounds like a bunch of crap to me. If in fact it was as they say, than it was God that did it.
By Jacks, May 25, 2007 at 3:55 am Link to this comment
Ten bucks Focus on the Family will start protesting this virgin shark birth as “man-bashing” in disguise. Even the sharks are now agents of evil in this secular culture of ours.
Report thisBy gnocchi, May 25, 2007 at 2:36 am Link to this comment
So THAT’s what Mary Cheney’s baby looks like!
Report thisBy THOMAS BILLIS, May 25, 2007 at 12:38 am Link to this comment
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If this carches on with women masturbation will become an Olympic event.
Report thisBy contour, May 24, 2007 at 7:11 pm Link to this comment
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That’s nothing. My wife did this-three times.
Report thisBy Anthony, May 24, 2007 at 6:18 pm Link to this comment
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Haha! This turned out to be pretty interesting but I clicked on it I thinking it was satirical material on Cheny’s new grandbaby.
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