Sex changing clownfish vs Virgin birth crocodile

[PatatiPatatras]

We just went over the clownfish in training today. Luckily i skipped. I'm liking my chances of identifying as a virgin birther. I just need to ignore that I can't actually do what the crocodile does.... but it's OK. I'm just trying to highlight it happens in nature too.

I don't think this nonsensical thread should stay up for long. Simply amused me.

If you want a thing doing properly, do it yourself 👍

Aphids do it too. It is parthenogenesis.

No-partner-genesis, you say? I'm liking the sound of it but I'm not ready for the full monty yet. Might keep him tucked away for a bit. you never know!

Was it a virgin birth or stored sperm, hmm?

The crocodile in the title pulled me into this thread. Not heard that one before.

The female croc was captured at age 2 and hadn't had a male in the enclosure for 16 years, so stored sperm was unlikely.

''Researchers have now analysed the DNA from the non-viable foetus, with the findings today revealing there were no paternal alleles. In layman's terms, it means there was no father.''
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-06-07/parthenogenesis-virgin-birth-american-crocodile/102440852

Here is the published report;
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0129

There was a komodo dragon that did this, it hatched several apparently healthy babies, all male. I don't know if that was because of the parthenogenesis or coincidence. The sex of baby crocs depends on the incubation temperature of the eggs. Im not sure if that is the same for monitor lizards like the komodo dragon. Fascinating. A virgin birth but no messiah.

I note that none of the croc's offspring survived.

So not a hugely successful tactic for perpetuating the species.

Fascinating late night reading. 🐊

There's at least one species of gecko that reproduce solely through parthenogenesis, there are no males. But in order to induce egg laying they have pseudo copulation with one another.

There is hope then that one day in a future far far away that one day we could have a world of just the females of each species.....no pesky men!

Going to be honest I shouldn't read about crocs and breeding before bed.

Weird dreams! Crocodiles became shoe crocs that like wire coathangers became able to replicate themselves without assistance when left in a dark cupboard.. At one point I was being crushed by so many odd crocs I thought I was literally bring crushed to death. (Twas a very heavy cat deciding to stealth crawl from the foot of the bed for snuggles on my chest).

I demand only threads about soft snugly non replicating things be available for me to read at bedtime.

I liked the bit in the article that said the reason parthenogenesis in crocodiles hadn't been seen before was because nobody looked!

There's probably crocodiles somewhere going "we've done this for millennia, why are they suddenly getting so excited?"

If the American crocodile in the story is anything to go by, it wouldn't be a very successful means of reproduction. None of the offspring survived.

I've finally read the article. I knew turkeys were know to reproduce parthogenitica by pathogenesis from time to time (apparently the offspring aren't usually very fit - more twizzler than centrepiece Christmas roast) but I didn't know about the condors. It seems the frog DNA was unfairly maligned, the sisters could have been doing it for themselves regardless.

Sorry about the croc dream @Boiledbeetle were they all for the left foot? That would be quite sinister.