6 1 Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 7 Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany 8 2 Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Forststrasse 7, 76829 9 Landau, Germany 10 3 Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 11 Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany 12 * present address: ...

Parthenogenesis is a relatively rare reproductive mode in nature compared to sex. In social insects, the evolution of parthenogenesis has a notable impact on their life histories. Some termites with parthenogenetic ability produce numerous non-dispersing supplementary queens asexually, whereas other castes are produced via sexual reproduction. This asexual queen succession (AQS) system is adapt...

BACKGROUND Multiple transitions to obligate parthenogenesis have occurred in the Daphnia pulex complex in North America. These newly formed asexual lineages are differentially distributed being found predominantly at high latitudes. This conforms to the rule of geographical parthenogenesis postulating prevalence of asexuals at high latitudes and altitudes. While the reproductive mode of high-la...

Parthenogenetic species are assumed to represent evolutionary dead ends, yet parthenogenesis is common in some groups of invertebrates particularly in those found in relatively constant environments. This suggests that parthenogenetic reproduction might be common in pest invertebrates from uniform agricultural environments. Based on the evaluations of two databases from North America and Italy,...

In reptiles, the mode of reproduction is typically sexual. However, facultative parthenogenesis occurs in some Squamata, such as Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) and Burmese python (Python bivittatus). Here, we report facultative parthenogenesis in the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus). We found two fully developed female neonates and 17 undeveloped eggs in the oviduct of a female anaconda i...