Virgin Shark in Virginia Aquarium Found Pregnant By Paul A Smith
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008 |
DNA tests proved that the female shark in Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center wearing a puppy without having sex with a male shark. The shark belongs to the Atlantic Blacktip shark species and was named candy. The 5-foot-long virgin shark died as a result of its annual review because of a complicated pregnancy. After his death, the scientist has examined DNA from the young and noted the absence of male chromosomes.
They speculate that the puppy would not survive after birth because of genetic disease. This is the second case of parthenogenesis, a virgin birth to a shark. The first case in 2002, was a shark hammer in the zoo in Omaha, Nebraska.
The baby shark has survived after birth and was killed by a stingray in the tank. Parthenogenesis is more common vertebrates such as reptiles, birds, fish bones, and snakes and, of course, is not common for sharks. Scientists did not expect it will happen again sharks for the second time. Some scientists guessed that sharks have the ability to store sperm for a long period of time. But this is only speculation.
Is this a beginning of a new species of sharks? We do not know yet, but it is possible. Not only in the aquarium, but there are tons of secrets unknown occurring in the ocean that we do not even know they exist. Billions of years, evolution has begun the first form of life in a large mass of water, and that gives us probably why strange things occur mainly in water.
Maybe in the next millennium, there will be more unexpected changes to come.
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posted by neptunus @ 5:29 PM
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