Genetic diversity is essential to the survival of a species. It's easy enough to maintain if a species reproduces sexually; an egg and a sperm combine genetic material from two creatures into one, ...

In the course of evolution, animals have repeatedly shifted from sexual to asexual reproduction. The first evidence of the consequences of parthenogenesis – a type of asexual reproduction – on genome ...

If you've ever had a spiny leaf insect as a pet, or you're considering getting one, hopefully someone has warned you about this: if you put one in your enclosure, you might come back some time later ...

In the framework of an international research project, a team of scientists have demonstrated for the first time that asexual reproduction can be successful in the long term. The animal they studied ...

Stick insects that reproduce asexually cannot adapt as quickly in the course of evolution as sexually reproducing species, leading to a decrease in biological diversity, according to new research. An ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Bdelloid rotifers are ancient, asexual, oddballs. The teeny-tiny ...

The common fruit fly normally needs a mate to reproduce. But scientists tinkering with its genes found the ones that can induce parthenogenesis, or virgin birth. For the first time, scientists ...

Does all the stress of finding a partner get you down? Do you ever wish you could just start a family of your own, with kids that looked just like you, but without all of the trouble of finding ...

While scientists have previously observed “virgin births” in vertebrates such as sharks, rays and reptiles – a reproductive strategy thought to aid survival during periods of isolation – this is the ...

An Asian water dragon hatched from an egg at the Smithsonian National Zoo, and her keepers were shocked. Why? Her mother had never been with a male water dragon. Through genetic testing, zoo ...