Enlarge / Two female Gila spotted whiptail lizards basking in sunlight, Aspidoscelis flagellicauda. This is one of several all-female species of whiptails that reproduce by means of parthenogenesis. (credit: Wild Horizons/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
An Asian water dragon hatched from an egg at the Smithsonian National Zoo, and her keepers were shocked. Why? Her mother had never been with a male water dragon. Through genetic testing, zoo scientists discovered the newly hatched female, born on Aug. 24, 2016, had been produced through a reproductive mode called parthenogenesis.
Parthenogenesis is a Greek word meaning “virgin creation,” but it specifically refers to female asexual reproduction. While many people may assume this behavior is the domain of science fiction or religious texts, parthenogenesis is surprisingly common throughout the tree of life and is found in a variety of organisms, including plants, insects, fish, reptiles and even birds. Because mammals, including human beings, require certain genes to come from sperm, mammals are incapable of parthenogenesis.
Creating offspring without sperm
Sexual reproduction involves a female and a male, each contributing genetic material in the form of eggs or sperm, to create a unique offspring. The vast majority of animal species reproduce sexually, but females of some species are able to produce eggs containing all the genetic material required for reproduction.
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