Scientists spotted a female for the first time crocodile who was in captivity – without a mate for 16 years – and who laid several eggs, one of which contained a dead embryo.

Subsequent genetic analysis confirmed that the crocodile produced eggs without the participation of the male crocodile.

The discovery provides a unique insight into the reproductive potential of extinct relatives of crocodiles and birds, especially pterosaurs and dinosaurs. Crocodiles and birds are the living descendants of a group of reptiles called archosaurs, whose roots go back to dinosaurs and flying reptiles.

“It was previously thought that parthenogenesis was rare in female vertebrates, but scientists are finding that it is more common than previously thought. Parthenogenesis has now been observed in more than 80 vertebrates, including lizards, snakes, sharks and other species,” the study, published in Biology Letters, notes.

Genetic analysis of the dead fetus of a crocodile showed that he had almost the same genotype as his mother, in fact being her clone. So while it is a mode of reproduction when males are not available, it is not sustainable as it lacks the genetic diversity that two parents provide. It should be noted that the yield of eggs obtained as a result of parthenogenesis in other species is especially low and reaches only 3%.

It is not clear why parthenogenesis occurs in different species, but cases are appearing more and more often in the scientific literature, perhaps because researchers are now looking for it. One theory is that this happens in species capable of parthenogenesis when they are in decline and on the brink of extinction.

According to the BBC