Two eagle rays gave birth without encountering any males in 2 years

[FfFfFfFF 58,062]

Two eagle rays have surprised New Zealand aquarists and bemused scientists by giving birth without any males in their tank.

Nibble and Spot, both female and housed in the walk-through tunnel display at the SEA Life Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium in Auckland, had pups on New Year’s Eve despite not having been near a male in two years.

Andrew Christie, the curator of the aquarium, believed the most likely explanation is that the rays had stored sperm from their last encounter.

 

[...]

But in the case of the surprise eagle rays at Kelly Tarlton’s, Dutilloy believed the more likely explanation was parthenogenesis : a natural process of asexual reproduction, where an egg develops into an embryo without being fertilised. Compared to sharks, Dutilloy said sperm storage was relatively uncommon in rays, while parthenogenesis had been documented in spotted eagle rays – a close relative of Nibble and Spot’s species.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/22/new-zealand-eagle-rays-astonish-aquarium-with-mystery-births

[Magneto 13,546]

Not me reading "rave gays". Anyway, congrats to them

[Sylvia Browne 2,717]

“Egg develops into an embryo without being fertilized”

wHAT 

how is that possible 

[Whigney Houstan 1,246]

Men are trash, good for them

[TSUNAMI 21,297]

4 minutes ago, CubbyGaga said:

“Egg develops into an embryo without being fertilized”

wHAT 

how is that possible 

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2001/07/egg-fertilized-without-sperm

[Sneaky Oliver 22,972]

But it's not completely abnormal. Some insects can 'give birth' without being fertilized too.

[Esteban 2,300]

Jesus is an eagle ray 

[uo111 5,282]

3 minutes ago, Esteban said:

Jesus is an eagle ray 

God right now: “****, I pressed the wrong button “

[Sylvia Browne 2,717]

13 minutes ago, TSUNAMI said:

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2001/07/egg-fertilized-without-sperm

That’s fascinating 

[Esteban 2,300]

4 minutes ago, uo111 said:

God right now: “****, I pressed the wrong button “

Imagine in is this world in loss of values and spirituality if millions of people make pilgrimage to see a damn fish 
It will be as absurd as the world is, and I'm living for this! 

Praised be the ray! (of light) 

[TasteLikeWhiskey 1,561]

For those that have shown interest - Have a look at this:

It is literally one ancient, giant organism. Sometimes the line between reproduction and self-replication/cloning isn't so easily discernable. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pando_(tree)

@FfFfFfFF @CubbyGaga @TSUNAMI  @Sneaky Oliver

[TasteLikeWhiskey 1,561]

32 minutes ago, Esteban said:

Jesus is an eagle ray 

The Virgin MaRAY is real 

[Tinnitus15 51,886]

48 minutes ago, CubbyGaga said:

“Egg develops into an embryo without being fertilized”

wHAT 

how is that possible 

It is...in bees and other insect there’s a fertilisation called parthenogenesis which is know 

[RRR 3,996]

They don't know if they hadn't encountered a male, those eagle rays could have received a "U up?" text in the middle of the night and nobody would have been the wiser

[Diamond Heart 4,400]