Female Crocodile in Costa Rica Has First-Ever Recorded Virgin Birth

Researchers report the discovery of a parthenogenetic baby crocodile, the product of a virgin birth containing only genetic material from its mother. This is the first time parthenogenesis has been found in crocodiles, and it suggests that pterosaurs and dinosaurs might also have been capable of such reproductive feats. Parthenogenesis is a process where an egg cell divides repeatedly to generate a final product with exactly half the genes needed for an individual, and one polar body sometimes fuses with the egg, creating a cell with the necessary complement of chromosomes to form an individual.