Sharkpunk - edited by Jonathan Green

Saturday 22 February 2014

Did you know some sharks can reproduce without having to mate first?

Some captive female sharks have been known to reproduce without the aid of a male, essentially cloning themselves. In 2001, a female hammerhead shark gave birth in the Henry Doorly Zoo in Nebraska without mating with a male, taking researchers by surprise. It's an example of parthenogenesis, wherein embryos can be created without external fertilisation, and has been seen in all types of animals except for mammals.