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Female Zebra Shark Reproduces Asexually

"There was nothing much published about such large animals switching reproductive strategy so quickly."

The animal kingdom offers amazing insights into our understanding of sexuality and gender. The latest development comes from Australia, where a female zebra shark has managed to produce live offspring asexually.

Though rare, so-called “virgin births” have been reported before—an eagle ray and a boa constrictor, for example, both in captivity. But this is the first time a female shark has been observed reproducing asexually after having a mate.

MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

A boy and his mother watch as a diver feeds a Zebra Shark and other tropical fish, in the Tropical Pacific Gallery at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Los Angeles on November 26, 2009. The Aquarium which focuses on the Pacific Ocean, features a shark lagoon and three main viewing galleries where visitors can learn about ocean issues and conservation. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

The shark, named Leonie, lived with a male partner at the Reef HQ aquarium in Queensland from 2006 to 2012. After she had several litters the old-fashioned way, Leonie was put into a separate tank to help scale back the aquarium’s breeding program.

Two years later, Leonie and one of her female pups, Lolly, both laid eggs and staff noticed some of them had embryos. Last year, Leonie and Lolly laid eggs again, and this time, three of Leonie's eggs and two of Lolly's evolved into live hatchlings.

Christine Dudgeon, a biologist studying the case, says there are two possible explanation: "One was sperm storage, which has been documented in several occasions. Sharks have been known to store sperm from male sharks for extended periods of time."

MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

A boy and his mother watch as a diver feeds a Zebra Shark and other tropical fish, in the Tropical Pacific Gallery at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Los Angeles on November 26, 2009. The Aquarium which focuses on the Pacific Ocean, features a shark lagoon and three main viewing galleries where visitors can learn about ocean issues and conservation. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

The other explanation is parthenogenesis, or asexual reproduction. Dudgeon says a genetic analysis of the hatchlings indicates elevated homozygosity, meaning more genes are identical, pointing to the likelihood of asexual reproduction.

"It was definitely a surprise," Hamish Tristram, a senior aquarist with Reef HQ, told CNN. "She had been mating successfully for several years, and there was nothing much published about such large animals switching reproductive strategy so quickly."

THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images

The four times apnoea world record holder, Pierre Frolla, dives near in Zebra shark at the Aquarium of Paris on November 11, 2012 in Paris. The pool of 3 million liters is populated by 25 sharks. AFP PHOTO THOMAS SAMSON (Photo credit should read THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Zebra sharks, also known as leopard sharks, were once widespread in tropical areas around the globe, but they've become endangered by overfishing and degradation of their coral reef habitat. Still, while Leonie’s ability is fascinating, it’s not the ideal way to procreate: “The genetic diversity of animals gets greatly reduced using this reproductive method," said Dudgeon. "Long term, they need to diversify to help them adapt to their environment."

The next step is to wait for the offspring to mature and see if they can reproduce sexually themselves, something that has yet to be observed in such cases.

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