"Known by scientists as 'parthenogenesis', this natural form of asexual reproduction lets healthy offspring develop from a female's unfertilised eggs. Only last month, a female lizard at a zoo near Birmingham gave birth to eight hatchlings, despite never having been in contact with a male. But virgin births have already occurred in a wide range of animals such as sharks, snakes, crocodiles, crustaceans, scorpions and wasps."
"For most animals, reproduction is sexual, meaning it involves a female's egg being fertilised by a male's sperm. In contrast, parthenogenesis is asexual, meaning only one parent is needed to give life and pass on their genes. It is not entirely clear what triggers certain species to undergo this process, or what connects all the species known to have this capability."
Parthenogenesis is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which healthy offspring develop from unfertilised eggs and require only a female parent. The phenomenon has been observed across diverse animal groups, including lizards, sharks, snakes, crocodiles, crustaceans, scorpions and wasps, often arising when females remain isolated from males. Parthenogenesis challenges assumptions about the necessity of males for reproduction. The process has not been recorded in humans, but experimental induction in mammals has been achieved using gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR, and the biological triggers and shared mechanisms remain unclear.
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