Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Boa constrictor has two litters of miraculous 'virgin births'

Evidence suggests the mother snake has had multiple virgin births, producing 22 baby snakes that have no father.  More than that, the genetic make-up of the baby snakes is unlike any previously recorded among vertebrates, the group which includes almost all animals with a backbone.  Details are published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters. Virgin births do occur among animals.

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9139000/9139971.stm