What are those?

[ladymustang514]

What are those geckos the is an all female species?

 

[GeckoTracks]

Lepidodactylus lugubris (Morning Gecko)

 

[odatria]

What are those geckos the is an all female species?

Parthenogenesis is the ability of a female species to reproduce in the absence of a male. The mourning gecko(mentioned above) is one example. Hemidactylus garnotii is another. While it is very rare, there are many accounts of parthenogenesis in reptiles that are not specifically parthenogenic. A web search using google should supply you with a plethora of information regarding the topic. Parthenogenesis has been proven in Boa Constrictors and Rattlesnakes. It is a common misconception that these animals may be hemaphrodites. That is certainly not the case as the parthenogenic offspring are actually clones of their mothers. There is currently quite a bit of research in parthenogenesis in relation to cloning. One interesting fact is that there appears to be a high number of deformities amongst the offspring. Possibly due to the fact that they only have one set of genes. Again, a google search will suit you well in learning more about this fascinating occurence.

Good Luck,

Michael.

 

[Clay Davenport]

Interestingly, not all parthenogenesis that occurs in reptile species produce clones of the female. In species which are not unisexual, parthenogenesis results in male offspring.

This is called automictic parthenogenesis (AP), and is a result of the female having dissimilar sex chromosomes rather than the male as it is with humans.
In reptiles, the male is ZZ while the female is ZW. When AP occurs, the egg cell undergoes the normal process of meiosis and produces four haploid cells, two Z and two W. One of these cells becomes the mature egg cell and the others are polar bodies.
The mature egg cell then reabsorbs the polar body that split from it giving it a full set of genes. If the egg cell was a Z, then the result will be ZZ and the cell will continue to divide and form a diploid male. If the egg was a W, then the result is a non viable WW.

 

[ladymustang514]

Thank you so much.

 

[odatria]

You learn something new everyday!

Thanks for the correction! Looks like I will be doing a little googling myself this evening.

Michael

 

[Clay Davenport]

Not a correction per se, more of an addendum. The more conventional form of parthenogenesis you described occurs as well as you already know, and more frequently in reptiles, although both are quite rare overall.
Parthenogenesis which results in clones of the females is not restricted to lizards either, the Brahminy Blind snake utilizes this form of reproduction as well.

Automictic parthenogenesis has been reported in timber rattlesnakes and a type of garter, I can't remember exactly which one. Dr. Gordon Schuett was working with the garters and performed DNA fingerprinting on the mother and the offspring.
The most curious part was that the offspring only possesed about half the genetic material of the mother, but what they did have matched the mother perfectly. They just didn't get all of her DNA.
A most interesting phenomenon.