Virgin Birth in a Hammerhead Shark

Authors

Demian D. Chapman, Nova Southeastern University
Mahmood S. Shivji, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Ed Louis, Henry Doorly Zoo
Julie Sommer, Henry Doorly Zoo
Hugh Fletcher, Queen's University - Belfast, United Kingdom
Paulo A. Prodohl, Queen's University - Belfast, United Kingdom

ResearcherID

G-4080-2013

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Biology Letters

ISSN

1744-9561

Publication Date

8-22-2007

Keywords

Asexual reproduction, Automictic parthenogenesis, Chrondrichthyes, Sphyrnidae, Microsatellite DNA profiling, Genomic imprinting

Abstract

Parthenogenesis has been documented in all major jawed vertebrate lineages except mammals and cartilaginous fishes (class Chondrichthyes: sharks, batoids and chimeras). Reports of captive female sharks giving birth despite being held in the extended absence of males have generally been ascribed to prior matings coupled with long-term sperm storage by the females. Here, we provide the first genetic evidence for chondrichthyan parthenogenesis, involving a hammerhead shark (Sphyrna tiburo). This finding also broadens the known occurrence of a specific type of asexual development (automictic parthenogenesis) among vertebrates, extending recently raised concerns about the potential negative effect of this type of facultative parthenogenesis on the genetic diversity of threatened vertebrate species.

DOI

10.1098/rsbl.2007.0189

Volume

3

Issue

4

First Page

425

Last Page

427

Comments

Issue cover article.

Additional Comments

©2007 The Royal Society

NSUWorks Citation

Demian D. Chapman, Mahmood S. Shivji, Ed Louis, Julie Sommer, Hugh Fletcher, and Paulo A. Prodohl. 2007. Virgin Birth in a Hammerhead Shark .Biology Letters , (4) : 425 -427. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/369.