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...

To investigate the mode of inheritance of apomixis in Chinese chive, the degrees of diplospory and parthenogenesis were evaluated in F(1) and BC(1) progenies derived from crosses between amphimictic and apomictic diploids (2n = 16, 2x). The F(1) population was generated by crossing three amphimictic diploids 94Mo13, 94Mo49 and 94Mo50 with an apomictic diploid KaD2 and comprised 110 diploids and...

Facultative parthenogenesis - the ability of sexually reproducing species to sometimes produce offspring asexually - is known from a wide range of ordinarily sexually reproducing vertebrates in captivity, including some birds, reptiles and sharks [1-3]. Despite this, free-living parthenogens have never been observed in any of these taxa in the wild, although two free-living snakes were recently...

this study was designed to compare the effectiveness of different activation treatments for activation of in vitro matured oocytes and their developmental potency in mcr2aa medium so as to obtain maximum number of embryos. a total of 1090 cumulus oocyte complexes (coc’s) were collected from 480 ovaries. in vitro matured oocytes were randomly divided into four groups. group 1 in vitro matured oo...

Parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction by which embryos develop from unfertilized eggs. Parthenogenesis occurs in reptiles; however, it is not yet known to occur in the widespread elapid snakes (Elapidae), which include well-known taxa such as cobras, mambas, taipans and sea snakes. Here, we describe the production of viable parthenogens in two species of Australo-Papuan elapids with...