Meet Lizzie, The Asexual Lizard

Details: Category: News; Published on Friday, 20 January 2012 19:41; Written by Ace Amoeba; Hits: 589

The whiptail lizard is a reptilian species residing in American States in the Southwest and Mexico. Some of these lizards have developed a subspecies that is entirely composed of females.They reproduce through a process known as parthengenesis.

Parthengenesis is the process in which an embryo is formed without fertilization. The asexual whiptails have double the chromosomes than the ones that reproduce sexually. Some sharks, snakes, fish and possibly birds also can reproduce through parthengenesis.

Ace Whiptails actually need to simulate sex in order to procreate, although this is done without any penetrative sex or exchange of genetic materials. The lizards are all female and they are genderfluid, which determines the role either lizard will play in the reproductive process.

Parthenogenesis in humans is scientifically possible, although there are no reports of an occurrence happening organically that are both confirmed and reliable.

Sources:

Asexual Lizards