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Why Emily Blunt Says Filming ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ Feels Like They’re “in a Zoo”
One iguana is putting a new spin on the concept of independence.
Exotic Zoo Wildlife Park in Telford, England, shared that one of their casque-head iguanas has achieved a once-in-a-lifetime feat: she’s given birth to eight hatchlings without any male contact in a form of asexual reproduction.
Allow Exotic Zoo to explain.
“These babies are EXTRA special,” the organization wrote in an Aug. 14 social media post announcing the babies’ birth. “These little lizards have no dad at all – they’re being born through parthenogenesis! This means the babies are genetic clones of their mum – an amazing rare natural phenomenon that occurs in some reptiles, invertebrates and other animals!”
While parthenogenesis—sometimes referred to as a “virgin birth” in which unfertilized eggs develop into embryos, creating genetic replicas of the mother—is common among many plants and invertebrates such as ants and bees, the phenomenon occurring among vertebrates is much rarer.
As zoo owner Scott Adams told the BBC Sept. 9, “When we confirmed the eggs were fertile without any contact with a male, our jaws hit the floor.”