Parthenogenesis in a large-bodied requiem shark, the blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus
Authors: Chapman; Firchau1; Shivji2
Source: Journal of Fish Biology, Volume 73, Number 6, October 2008 , pp. 1473-1477(5)
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing
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Abstract:
Genetic evidence is provided for parthenogenesis in a large-bodied shark, the blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus, from the speciose and commercially important family Carcharhinidae, the first verified case of asexual development in this lineage and only the second for any chondrichthyan. The parthenogenetic embryo exhibited elevated homozygosity relative to its mother, indicating that automictic parthenogenesis is the most likely mechanism. Although this finding shows that parthenogenesis is more common and widespread in sharks than previously realized and supports the early existence of parthenogenetic abilities in vertebrates, the adaptive significance of automixis in these ancient fishes remains unclear.Keywords: automixis; Carcharhinidae; diversity; evolution; genetic management
Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.02018.x
Affiliations: 1: Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, 717 General Booth Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23451, U.S.A. 2: Guy Harvey Research Institute, Oceanographic Center, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL 33004, U.S.A.
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