The first case of a female crocodile reproducing without the help of a male occurred at a reptile park in Costa Rica, according to a new study.

The female laid an egg containing a fetus that was 99.9% genetically identical to her.

The so-called “virgin birth” phenomenon has been found in species of birds, fish, and other reptiles, but never before with crocodiles.

The scientists point out that this trait could have been inherited from an evolutionary ancestor, so dinosaurs could also be capable of self-reproduction.

The egg was laid in Parque Reptilandia in January 2018 by an 18-year-old female American crocodile.

The fetus inside was fully formed but dead, so it didn’t hatch.

The female that laid the egg arrived at the zoo when she was two years old and was kept away from other crocodiles all her life.

For this reason, the park’s science team contacted Virginia Polytechnic Institute scientists who specialize in virgin births, known scientifically as parthenogenesis.

The researchers analyzed the fetus and found that it was more than 99.9% genetically identical to his motherwhich confirms that he had no father.

Ordinary?

The case of virgin birth occurred in a female American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). GETTY IMAGES

It could be that virgin births are more common in crocodiles and have gone unnoticed until now because they haven’t been searched for, say the study authors published in the journal Biology Letters of the Royal Society, the British Academy of Sciences.

“It is not uncommon for reptiles to lay eggs in captivity. Given the isolation period of the pairs, the eggs would normally be considered non-viable and discarded.”

“These findings suggest that potential viability of eggs should be assessed when males are absent”, add the researchers.

“In addition, since (virgin births) can occur in the presence of potential mates, these cases may be missed when reproduction occurs in females cohabiting with males.”

It’s not clear why parthenogenesis occurs in different species, but cases of this phenomenon are popping up in the scientific literature more and more, probably because scientists are now looking for them.

One theory is that virgin births occur in species capable of parthenogenesis. when the number of individuals decreases and the species is on the verge of extinction.

“This new evidence provides tantalizing information about the possible reproductive capabilities of extinct crocodilian relatives, especially dinosaurs,” the scientists note.