cheryl
Administrator
Staff member
Surprise discovery: California condors hatched chicks from unfertilized eggs - Cnet
No condor-dudes required. These are the first documented instances of asexual reproduction in the endangered birds.
The California condor, a critically endangered bird, has apparently found an unusual way of making bird babies. Conservation scientists with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance made the surprising discovery that two condors in a breeding program hatched chicks from unfertilized eggs, meaning the babies didn't have fathers.
What's even more surprising is that the condor mothers lived with males. Parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction) is rare in birds and has been observed mainly in turkeys and chickens, among female birds with no access to mates.
The condor find came about during a routine analysis and was confirmed by genetic testing. The existence of only a small population of California condors means researchers have kept genetic tabs on the birds and were able to rule out the males as dads.
No condor-dudes required. These are the first documented instances of asexual reproduction in the endangered birds.
The California condor, a critically endangered bird, has apparently found an unusual way of making bird babies. Conservation scientists with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance made the surprising discovery that two condors in a breeding program hatched chicks from unfertilized eggs, meaning the babies didn't have fathers.
What's even more surprising is that the condor mothers lived with males. Parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction) is rare in birds and has been observed mainly in turkeys and chickens, among female birds with no access to mates.
The condor find came about during a routine analysis and was confirmed by genetic testing. The existence of only a small population of California condors means researchers have kept genetic tabs on the birds and were able to rule out the males as dads.