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

[FfFfFfFF 42,337]

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

Edited January 22 by FfFfFfFF

[Magneto 11,389]

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

[CubbyGaga 931]

“Egg develops into an embryo without being fertilized”

wHAT 

how is that possible 

[WIGney HouSTAN 70]

Men are trash, good for them

[TSUNAMI 17,455]

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 15,149]

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

[Esteban 1,579]

Jesus is an eagle ray 

[uo111 4,844]

3 minutes ago, Esteban said:

Jesus is an eagle ray 

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

[CubbyGaga 931]

13 minutes ago, TSUNAMI said:

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

That’s fascinating 

[Esteban 1,579]

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 838]

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 838]

32 minutes ago, Esteban said:

Jesus is an eagle ray 

The Virgin MaRAY is real 

[Tinnitus15 4,903]

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 

[Lady Papa 3,631]

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

Edited January 22 by Lady Papa

[Diamond Heart 4,343]