Curious about snakes 'virgin' birth children

A cobra has never mated but lay eggs, a rattlesnake mating again after giving birth to ... 5 years.

Rattlesnake was unexpected after the time of birth to mate ... 5 years. Photo: MSNBC

These are all special cases, researchers have been published in the Journal of Linnean Society Biological latest. Accordingly, a rattlesnake above is described as "a time to preserve the longest sperm" in the animal kingdom (excluding insects).

"Snakes and some other animals can give birth in a state of" virgin "completely, meaning that fertilization is absolutely no need to males. Or if they can mate preservation of sperm inside the body for a time very, very long, "Warren Booth researchers at the University of North Carolina share on Discovery News.

According to Booth, the phenomenon of giving birth without mating - the scientific name parthenogenesis, has been scientifically documented in many species of vertebrates, except mammals. In addition to solid, the phenomenon also seen in South American python, python rainbow, some sharks, Komodo dragons, turkey ....

Back to the cobra "virgin": Warren Booth said the snake was on display at the North Carolina Aquarium alone for years. Booth has conducted DNA analysis of it and confirm, absolutely no "contributions" from the male snake with four children have completely normal appearance by the solid generated.

But the case of rattlesnake that made Warren Booth and impressive shock, because suddenly, it laid 19 eggs - 19 snakes hatch into healthy children (10 females and 9 males). The DNA analysis confirmed 19 of this snake I have the same "father".

"The snake was captured when it is about 1 years old and since then, it was kept in isolation cages with solid male. So, can only explain that he had mated before being captured - at least the body and reproductive system are not fully developed, "the biologist explains.

According to the theory of Booth, the reason the rattlesnake flower store sperm up to 5 years is because the body stores it fine tube, or that it has a special ability to re-knotted the uterus. Talking to better understand the part of the uterus will twist, shrink temporarily to isolate and protect the sperm until appropriate to "see" the egg.

Just good, moderate damage

Fish, birds, insects, amphibians and reptiles can store sperm for long periods. The success rate of mammals is much lower, but a recent study of gold Asian bats also showed that female bats can store sperm for several months. For comparison, women can only preserve the sperm for several hours or days only.

Besides, the reason people can not conceive "virgin" as such is because of some specific gene in the fetus must have a combination of both parents. In the lab, however, scientists have "clicks" through this required the creation of mice parthenogenesis.

According to Warren Booth, both forms of birth abnormalities mentioned above - "virgin conception" and "preservation of sperm stamina" are the two faces. In particular, the preservation of sperm for the children overcome the challenges of climate, habitat, food, health ... . The children do not need males can affect the genetic diversity and can lead to all children of the whole situation are the children or all the males. But in return, it can also remove the abnormal gene mutation.

According to Discovery News, Paolo Prodohl, Professor of Population and Evolutionary Genetics of the Queen's University Belfast believes, Warren Booth's research may pave the way for methods to preserve the natural sperm in the future, or help people get health breakthrough, eliminating the bad gene.