Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures
A Genetic Investigation Into a Shark 'Virgin-Birth': Asexual Reproduction, Inter-Specific Hybridization or Long-Term Sperm Retention?
Event Name/Location
American Elasmobranch Society 20th Annual Meeting, Norman, OK, June, 2004
Presentation Date
6-2004
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
ORCID ID
G-4080-2013
Description
Asexual reproduction via parthenogenesis is relatively rare among chordates and has never been recorded in the class Chondrichthyes. In December 2001, a female Bonnethead Shark, Sphyrna tiburo, gave birth in captivity to a single female pup, despite having been separated from any male S. tiburo for a period of at least three years. Widespread media attention quickly led to this case being billed as "the shark-virgin birth" (i.e., asexual reproduction), however other explanations (sexual reproduction coupled with long-term sperm storage, inter-specific hybridization with a male leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata, tank-mate) could not be ruled out. We present the results of a genetic investigation aimed at ruling out these alternatives and determining whether this birth is the first known case of asexual reproduction in this ancient lineage.
NSUWorks Citation
Chapman, Demian D.; Shivji, Mahmood S.; Louis, Ed; and Prodohl, Paulo A., "A Genetic Investigation Into a Shark 'Virgin-Birth': Asexual Reproduction, Inter-Specific Hybridization or Long-Term Sperm Retention?" (2004). Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures. 156.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facpresentations/156
