The Immaculate Conception is a central theme in many religious stories. With the intervention of divine forces, a woman gives birth to a child, while remaining a virgin. However, in real life, such a “virgin birth” is impossible among Homo sapiens, and in any mammalian species.
Does this mean that virgin birth is impossible in the animal kingdom? Surprisingly, no. There is such a term as "parthenogenesis", it is applicable to the form of asexual reproduction, which can occur both in plants and animals. In the latter case, this means that the embryo develops from an unfertilized egg. Sometimes this is a matter of survival, allowing females to produce offspring if there are few or no males. And it happens that parthenogenesis can be caused by external causes, such as an infectious disease.
Here are the top 10 animals that have the natural gift of the virgin birth.
10. Scorpions
These arachnids are best known for their poisonous weapons - the sting on the tail. But perhaps more frightening than having a sting, is the fact that some of these eight-legged nightmares can reproduce their own kind without the help of a partner. There are nine varieties of parthenogenetic scorpions, capable of producing from two to several dozen poisonous scorpions, depending on the species.
9. Sharks
Parthenogenesis is known to occur in several species of sharks, including the zebra shark and even some species of hammerhead sharks. This phenomenon was mainly observed in captivity when females were isolated from males. The most famous case of the immaculate conception of toothy predators was recorded in 2016, when a zebra shark named Leoni, living in one of the Australian aquariums, gave birth to three sharks. At the same time, her last partner was transferred to another aquarium in 2012. A genetic analysis of Leoni and her offspring showed that the cubs only have the mother’s genes.
This is most likely an evolutionary trait that allows the species to survive with a small number of males available. However, researchers fear that this could lead to a lack of genetic diversity and jeopardize the long-term survival of sharks in the wild.
8. Dragons of Komodo Island
These poisonous and sharp-toothed monitor lizards resembling mini dinosaurs are surprisingly frightening creatures. Add to the formidable appearance of Komodo dragons the ability to reproduce offspring parthenogenetically, and they become one of the most unusual animals in the world.
Parthenogenesis in Komodo dragons, presumably, is a consequence of their remote habitat, where males are not always nearby. Young “dragons” hatched from eggs receive all the necessary genetic material from their mother. At the same time, both males and females can be born with the immaculate conception.
7. Wands
Nearby, they are stick insects - these are insects that very successfully "adapt" to the environment. You are unlikely to distinguish them from a small twig or leaf, so they got their name.
It is believed that this effective camouflage, as well as other defensive traits, have appeared to help the stickmen survive and drive away predators. But another amazing evolutionary feature that only some species of sticks possess is the ability to give birth to offspring without the aid of fertilization. Moreover, under natural conditions, males and females mate without any restrictions, but in laboratory conditions, lonely females do not wait until they have a pretty neighbor, and lay unfertilized eggs.
6. Snakes
Boa constrictors and reticulated pythons (the largest snake in the world) are just some of the species of snakes capable of immaculate conception. Initially, scientists believed that the ability of snakes to reproduce offspring without males is “activated" only in the absence of these males. However, then it turned out that some species of snakes lay their eggs even when there are males nearby.
It is curious that parthenogenesis of snakes usually leads to the appearance of a smaller number of kites, as well as to offspring with a shorter period of life. Therefore, there is a theory that the process of immaculate conception is provoked by external factors, such as a bacterial or viral infection.
5. Spiders
Although these spiders look very menacing in the photo, in reality their length is less than three millimeters. And they can be dangerous except for Ant-Man.
So far, only females of this species have been found, which prompted researchers to assume that they breed strictly parthenogenetically.
4. Honey bees
The queen bee is usually the only female in the hive that can lay fertilized eggs. But when the queen dies, some worker bees can lay eggs parthenogenetically, trying to extend the life of the hive. In these difficult circumstances, workers produce eggs, from which not only a drone can appear, but also a female, which, if lucky, will develop into a bee. However, in case of failure, the entire bee colony collapses.
However, in South African Cape bees, self-fertilization of females is the norm, and not a rare occurrence, as in other species.
3. Snails melania
Although several varieties of snails have the ability to reproduce by parthenogenesis, snails melania (they are also sandy) prefer the immaculate conception. These creatures have no natural predatory enemies, and they are often bought for breeding in aquariums. Males are also found among melania, but only in many of them the genitals are non-functional. A snail reproduces in two ways: either parthenogenetic or ovoid.
In the second case, the eggs are inside the mother until new snails are ready to hatch.
2. Turkeys
Parthenogenesis was observed in some breeds of domesticated turkeys. If the males are separated from the females, then the mechanism of parthenogenesis can start. At the same time, females that are within the ears of males reproduce asexually more often than their "girlfriends" who are far from males.
1. Mexican Whip-Tailed Lizard
Lizards of the genus Cnemidophorus neomexicanus are in first place in the ranking of animals capable of immaculate conception. Their homeland is New Mexico.
This species is completely female and completely parthenogenetic. Males are completely unnecessary for breeding, and they die immediately after birth.
Interesting fact! The theory regarding these strange lizards says that females need to simulate sex with other females to stimulate ovulation. Because of this, the whip-tailed lizards are called "lesbian lizards." In each mating season, the roles of “sexual partners” change. That is, the lizard, which played the role of “man” in the past, can play the “female” role in a new mating game, and vice versa.
