Wildlife Researchers Discover Virgin Births Amidst California Condor Offspring

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Two feminine California condors hatched eggs that contained no male DNA.
Beforehand, scientists had solely noticed “virgin births” in home turkeys and chickens.
Regardless of conservation efforts, California condors are nonetheless a critically endangered species.

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Outcomes from a current research by US wildlife scientists discovered that two feminine California condors gave beginning to chicks with none male genetic DNA, BBC reported.”That is really a tremendous discovery,” Oliver Ryder, director of conservation genetics at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and a co-author of the research, mentioned in a press launch. “We solely confirmed it due to the conventional genetic research we do to show parentage. Our outcomes confirmed that each eggs possessed the anticipated male ZZ intercourse chromosomes, however all markers have been solely inherited from [female condors], verifying our findings.”—San Diego Boo 👻 Wildlife Alliance (@sandiegozoo) October 28, 2021 Researchers made the invention throughout a routine evaluation of organic samples, which have been collected from greater than 900 condors during the last three many years as a part of a collaboration between the zoo and the California Condor Program.Beforehand, scientists had solely noticed the uncommon phenomenon of “virgin births” in sure species of birds – akin to home turkeys and chickens – that had been separated from males, in accordance with the Journal of Heredity.

The births marked the primary time asexual replica in any avian species the place the feminine chook had entry to a mate has been documented. Each of the feminine condors have been persistently housed with a fertile male and produced a number of offspring with their mates over time, in accordance with an SDZWA press launch.Based on the California Division of Fish and Wildlife, the California condor is a critically endangered species that has recuperated from borderline extinction resulting from main conservation efforts. Captive-bred California condors have been launched all through the Southwest and Mexico, elevating the species’ present quantity to roughly 500.

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