Scientists Document Sawfish Virgin Births
Posted on June 1, 2015
Scientists say they have observed the critically endangered smalltooth sawfish reproducing without sex in the wild. Researchers from Stony Brook University, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and The Field Museum say about 3% of sawfish living in a Florida estuary are the result of parthenogenesis, or virgin births. The researchers used DNA analysis to determine the smalltooth sawfish offspring were produced by asexual reproduction.
Reuters reports that the scientists say this is the first time the parthenogenesis has been observed in a vertebrate in the wild. They theorize that some females may be resorting to parthenogenesis due to low mating opportunities because of a lack of male smalltooth sawfish. A juvenile smalltooth sawfish swimming the Charlotte Harbor is pictured above.
Dr. Gregg Poulakis of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, says in a statement, "There was a general feeling that vertebrate parthenogenesis was a curiosity that didn't usually lead to viable offspring. The seven parthenogens we found looked to be in perfect health and were normal size for their age. This suggests parthenogenesis is not a reproductive dead end, assuming they grow to maturity and reproduce."
The fingerprinting was conducted at the Pritzker Laboratory at The Field Museum in Chicago. Dr. Kevin Feldheim of the Pritzker Laboratory says, "This could rewrite the biology textbooks. Occasional parthenogenesis may be much more routine in the wild than previously thought."
A research paper on the sawfish virgin births was published here in Current Biology. This video shows juvenile smalltooth sawfish swimming in the Peace River in Florida.