Komodo dragon

[bobthefish]

I wouldn't mind having some Kimberley Goannas do this!


http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/12/20/uk.komodo.reut/index.html

 

[munkee]

A neat trick!!!

 

[Hickson]

I hadn't heard about this, and I'm surprised that something like a Komodo is parthenogenetic. If this is the case then zoos around the world will just keep females (as males are often very aggressive towards females and can injure or kill them) and try to breed them that way.

Incidentally, that last statement by Buley doesn't make sense - parthenogenetic females can only produce females parthenogenetically, they are essentially clones of the female.

I'm sure Sdaji has something to add to this discussion as he has been working with parthenogenetic species for the last few years



Hix

Pt 2: found the Nature article and it explains what they have found, and it makes sense to me. For those interested, the article is here http://www.nature.com/news/2006/061218/full/061218-7.html



Hix

 

[junglepython2]

Thats the best article of the lot Hix, so all offspring must be homozygous for all traits which means only males can be produced. As females are ZW.

 

[chuck norris]

this story has been posted before, i seen it on the news a few days ago.
very interesting.

 

[jordo]

Thats the best article of the lot Hix, so all offspring must be homozygous for all traits which means only males can be produced. As females are ZW.

But bynoe's produce all female offspring don't they?

 

[Hetty]

I guess because it's parthenogenetic cloning rather than just parthenogenetis.

 

[junglepython2]

But bynoe's produce all female offspring don't they?

Yeah the gecko's make complete clones of themselves so they must turn out to be female, while the komodo's use a different mechanism, their offspring are not clones and are genetically different to each other, however are all homozygous and thus have reduced genetic diversity. As with reptiles ZZ is male and ZW is female all must be male.

 

[ollieham]

thats awsum, i wish my cunningham could do that

 

[junglepython2]

thats awsum, i wish my cunningham could do that

Lol, I wish pythons would do it, then would only need to by one het for albino, and presto half of the viable oppspring would be albino.
Instead of buying 2 hets and producing only 25% albino's.

 

[chuck norris]

dont you need an albino with a het to produce 25% albinos?

 

[junglepython2]

dont you need an albino with a het to produce 25% albinos?

Nope two hets will do the job. An albino with a het should produce 50% albino

 

[caustichumor]

It just goes to show that we don't know too much about the animals we share the planet with!
even if we think we do!

 

[Oxyuranus microlepid]

Nope two hets will do the job. An albino with a het should produce 50% albino

what about albino and albino??? 100%? no its not is it?

 

[spilota_variegata]

Interesting article regarding the parthenogenetic komodos at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenogenesis#Gynogenesis

quote: Because of the genetics of sex determination in Komodo Dragons uses the WZ system (where WZ is female, ZZ is male, WW is inviable) the offspring of this process will be ZZ (male) or WW (inviable), with no WZ females being born. quote:

 

[cris]

I read a paper about a pathenogenic(supposedly) Varanus Panoptes.
I dont know the link but try googling, i didnt really think to much of it as i thought it may have just have been sperm stored or something, but now im starting to think it was parthenogenic.

Does anyone have partenogenic V.Panoptes for sale? :lol:

 

[junglepython2]

what about albino and albino??? 100%? no its not is it?

Yep your right albino x albino would give 100% albino.

 

[ollieham]

thats weird but still very interesting

 

[slim6y]

When I first read this thread I was expecting it to be similar to roos or I think ardvarks which can store sperm for up to two years and fall pregenant when conditions are just right... I can't recall the technical name for this as I am on holiday and left my brain thing somewhere....

But when I read that it's parthenogenisis... similar to aphids... I still thought that they required 'once' mating in order to be parthenogenitic... well.. I'm still interested in knowing more about this...

I recall Jurassic Park talking about the males eventually turning females (or the other way) as in some frog and fish species (like Wrasse )