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Facultative parthenogenesis discovered in wild vertebrates.
Warren Booth1, Charles F Smith, Pamela H Eskridge
1Department of Entomology and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, PO Box 7613, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. warren-booth@utulsa.edu
Biology Letters
|September 15, 2012
Summary
Facultative parthenogenesis (FP), a form of asexual reproduction in bisexual species, has been confirmed in wild snakes for the first time. This discovery in copperhead and cottonmouth pitvipers suggests FP is more common in squamate reptiles than previously believed.
Area of Science:
- * Zoology and Evolutionary Biology
- * Reproductive Biology
Background:
- * Facultative parthenogenesis (FP), asexual reproduction in bisexual species, is known in various multicellular organisms but recently documented in snakes, lizards, birds, and sharks.
- * While numerous unisexual reptile species exist, FP has not been documented in wild populations, despite its apparent prevalence in captive squamate reptiles.
- * Detecting FP in wild individuals has been challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To provide the first evidence of facultative parthenogenesis in wild-collected pregnant females and their offspring.
- * To investigate the occurrence of FP in two closely related North American pitviper species.
Main Methods:
- * Microsatellite DNA genotyping of wild-collected pregnant snakes and their offspring.
- * Analysis of litter characteristics.
Main Results:
- * First documented cases of facultative parthenogenesis in wild copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) snakes.
- * Findings indicate that non-hybrid parthenogenesis, like FP, is likely more widespread in squamate reptiles than previously understood.
Conclusions:
- * Facultative parthenogenesis is confirmed in wild squamate reptiles, challenging its perception as a rare phenomenon.
- * FP should be considered within the mainstream of vertebrate evolution.
- * Further research is needed on the induction, reproductive capabilities, and population genetics of parthenogens in squamate reptiles.
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