Virginia Aquarium Shark was 2nd proven instance of asexual reproduction.

[Duppers]

Marine miracle: Local shark got pregnant by herself
A study confirms local shark was second proven instance of asexual reproduction.

By MIKE HOLTZCLAW
October 10, 2008

A shark that died more than a year ago at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach is creating big news in marine biology. An article today in a science journal has identified her as the second documented instance of asexual reproduction in sharks.

The study, reported in the October edition of the Journal of Fish Biology, refers to it as "a virgin birth." But that's a misnomer because the shark's baby was never born, having died in utero along with its mother in June 2007.

That's a minor distinction to the scientific community compared with the news that the shark, Tidbit, appears to have been carrying a baby that contained no genetic material from a father.

Tidbit, an Atlantic blacktip shark, was born in the wild but lived most of her life in the aquarium's " Norfolk Canyon" exhibit. She died unexpectedly at 8, when biologists say she was just reaching sexual maturity. There were no male blacktip sharks at the aquarium during her life.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/newsletter/dp-local_shark_1010oct10,0,3349513.story



Science has a long way to go in understanding everything.
(And no, hell no, I'm not anti-science; I'm a science-respecting atheist.)

[Richard D]

1. Damn . . .

. . . the return of the Messiah has been postponed.

[Duppers]

3. postponed?

ya mean canceled. ;)

[FLyellowdog]

5. Can't talk now...

gotta rush out to get my new baby shark for the manger display.

[VWolf]

2. The first case resulted in

the Bush twins.

[TZ]

4. We know very little about shark behavior in the wild

Especially reproductive behavior/biology..Who knows maybe this happens from time to time when the sex balances are unequal..Hell we know that parrotfish CHANGE sexes in these types of situations..so why NOT asexual reproduction...

[Duppers]

6. no, no, it's a "miracle" !

:sarcasm:

(of course, I agree w/you)

[TZ]

9. Yeah that headline irritated the hell out of me.

Newspapers always have to do that with science stories:banghead:

[Orrex]

8. Why do you hate men so much?

:evilgrin:

[YankeyMCC]

7. Dang!

Are we males going to become completely irrelevant? ;)