Unprecedented 'Virgin Birth' in Crocodile Species Discovered.

Researchers have discovered the first known case of a crocodile making herself pregnant and producing a genetically identical fetus. The crocodile had been in isolation since the age of 2, yet she still managed to lay a clutch of eggs at 18. The process, called parthenogenesis, is more common in the plant and insect worlds and allows a female organism to replicate itself without fertilization from a male. The authors suggest that in these cases among reptiles, birds, and now crocodiles, there may be a common evolutionary origin.