Researchers with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance mentioned genetic testing confirmed that two male chicks hatched in 2001 and 2009 from unfertilized eggs have been associated to their moms. Neither was associated to a male.

The examine was revealed Thursday within the the Journal of Heredity. It’s the primary report of asexual replica in California condors, though parthenogenesis can happen in different species starting from sharks to honey bees to Komodo dragons.

However in birds, it often solely happens when females don’t have entry to males. On this case, every mom condor had beforehand bred with males, producing 34 chicks, and every was housed with a fertile male on the time they produced the eggs by parthenogenesis.

Shock! California condor chicks can hatch with out male genetic contribution = parthenogenesis!https://t.co/Q3vxD7BotM @sandiegozoo @USFWS

— Oliver Ryder (@frozenzoo) October 28, 2021

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The researchers mentioned they consider it’s the first case of asexual replica in any avian species the place the feminine had entry to a mate.

“These findings now increase questions on whether or not this may happen undetected in different species,” mentioned Oliver Ryder, the examine’s co-author and director of conservation genetics for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

The non-profit alliance runs the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park and has been concerned in a California condor breeding program that helped carry the enormous vultures again from near-extinction.

With 10-foot (3-meter) wingspans, California condors are the most important flying birds in North America. They as soon as ranged all through the West Coast. However solely 22 survived within the Eighties when the U.S. authorities captured them and positioned them in zoos for captive breeding. About 160 have been bred on the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

There are actually greater than 500 California condors, together with greater than 300 which were launched into the wild in California, Arizona, Utah and Mexico.

The asexual replica was found some years in the past throughout widespread testing of genetic materials collected over a long time from condors, each dwelling and lifeless, in breeding packages and within the wild.

“Amongst 467 male California condors examined within the parentage evaluation, no male certified as a possible sire” of the 2 birds, the examine mentioned.

California condors can dwell as much as 60 years, however each males have been sickly. One was lower than 2 years previous when he died, and the opposite lived lower than eight years.