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Xaccers · 22-12-2006, 06:07

Female Komodo dragons have been shown to be able to reproduce through parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction, basically virgin births, or layings).

I find the chromosomes to be interesting, they have W and Z rather than our X and Y, and the male has ZZ while the female is WZ.
So she's able to use her genetic material to produce ZZ offspring asexually (WW results are unsustainable) so can only make males, resulting in offspring she can then mate sexually with to produce both male and females.
Handy if she were ever to be washed up on a deserted island.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6196225.stm

22-12-2006, 06:07	#1
Xaccers Inactive Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Milling around Milton Keynes Age: 49 Posts: 12,969	Mary was a giant lizard? Female Komodo dragons have been shown to be able to reproduce through parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction, basically virgin births, or layings). I find the chromosomes to be interesting, they have W and Z rather than our X and Y, and the male has ZZ while the female is WZ. So she's able to use her genetic material to produce ZZ offspring asexually (WW results are unsustainable) so can only make males, resulting in offspring she can then mate sexually with to produce both male and females. Handy if she were ever to be washed up on a deserted island. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6196225.stm