User:Stercorarius Parasiticus/Asexual reproduction

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ORIGINAL Parthenogenesis
Aphid giving birth to live young from an unfertilized egg

Main article: Parthenogenesis

Parthenogenesis is a form of agamogenesis in which an unfertilized egg develops into a new individual. Parthenogenesis occurs naturally in many plants, invertebrates (e.g. water fleas, rotifers, aphids, stick insects, some ants, bees and parasitic wasps), and vertebrates (e.g. some reptiles, amphibians, rarely sharks and birds). In plants, apomixis may or may not involve parthenogenesis.

EDIT Parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis is a form of agamogenesis in which an unfertilized egg develops into a new individual. It has been documented in over 2,000 species. Parthenogenesis occurs in the wild in many plants, invertebrates (e.g. water fleas, rotifers, aphids, stick insects, some ants, bees and parasitic wasps), and vertebrates (some reptiles, amphibians, and fish). It has also occurred rarely in domestic birds and in genetically altered lab mice. In plants, apomixis may or may not involve parthenogenesis. Parthenogenetic organisms can be split into two main categories: facultative and obligate.

Facultative Parthenogenesis
In facultative parthenogenesis, female can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Because of the many advantages of sexual reproduction, most facultative parthenotes only reproduce asexually when forced to. This typically occurs in instances when finding a mate becomes difficult. For example, female Zebra Sharks will reproduce asexually if they are unable to find a mate in their ocean habitats. Facultative parthenogenesis is also common in island colonizing lizards who may be unable to find a mate once they swim new island.

Heterogony
Heterogony is a form of facultative parthenogenesis where females alternate between sexual and asexual reproduction at regular intervuls. Aphids are one group of organism that engages in this type of reproduction. They use asexual reproduction to create winged offspring that can colonize new plants. See Alternation between sexual and asexual reproduction

Obligate Parthenogenesis
In obligate parthenogenesis, females only reproduce asexually. One example of this is the Desert Grassland Whiptail Lizard, a hybrid of two other species. Typically hybrids are infertile but through parthenogenesis this species has been able to develop stable populations.

Gynogenesis
Gynogenesis is a form of obligate parthenogenesis where a sperm cell is used to initiate reproduction. However, the sperm's genes never get incorporated into the egg cell. The best known example of this is the Amazon Molly. Because they are obligate parthenotes, there are no males in their species so they depend on males from a closely related species (the Sailfin Molly) for sperm.