02/15/2024
PSA: the Virgin Birth of a Stingray
This event is not actually surprising! In aquaria, there have been several instances of other elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays) becoming pregnant without ever having encountered a male of their species.
The phenomenon is called parthenogenesis. Females can get pregnant and give birth to a female offspring. Problematically, the offspring typically only has one set of chromosomes (whereas typically a male and female both contribute, so the offspring, has two sets).
Check scholar.google.com. You’ll see multiple instances of this phenomenon have already been published. When I was a graduate student, I even helped run the genetic analysis for one.
