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New Mexico whiptail lizard: Difference between revisions
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The New Mexico Whiptail lizard cannot sexually reproduce because they are all females. However, these lizards, simulate reproduction by way of pseudocopulation. Two females will act out having sex as if one was a male. This helps to increase the fertility of these lizards as it assists in producing more eggs than in females who don’t go through this act. The lizard who acts in the traditional female role assumes an inferior position to the other female female lizard who assumes a superior position (hence the term pseudocopulation). Remarkably, the Whiptail lizards who assume the "female role" end up producing larger eggs than the lizard acting out the male role [1]. | The New Mexico Whiptail lizard cannot sexually reproduce because they are all females. However, these lizards, simulate reproduction by way of pseudocopulation. Two females will act out having sex as if one was a male. This helps to increase the fertility of these lizards as it assists in producing more eggs than in females who don’t go through this act. The lizard who acts in the traditional female role assumes an inferior position to the other female female lizard who assumes a superior position (hence the term pseudocopulation). Remarkably, the Whiptail lizards who assume the "female role" end up producing larger eggs than the lizard acting out the male role [1]. | ||
No external fertilization occurs! | No external fertilization occurs! [2,3] Previously reptile researchers believed that the unfertilized eggs and hatchlings were clones of their mothers [2,3,4]. However, this has now been disproven. The internal self- fertilization that does occur, does NOT produce perfect offspring clones . Recent research by doctoral student Aracely Lutes at Baumann Lab demonstrated that the New Mexico Whiptail lizard produces two times the number of chromosomes as other types of Whiptail lizards which mate normally. Lutes reports that , this occurrence is the result of a " process of recombination of these chromosomes then occurs, somewhat similar to what happens in normal male/female pairings, which then produces genetically diverse offspring." [1] | ||
These lizards are created by a hybridization of the western whiptail (which lives in the desert) and the little striped whiptail (a grasslands lizard). Generally, crossbred species (like the mule) are typically sterile. However, the New Mexico Whiptail reproduces by a complex series of events (discussed above that appear like cloning) where it's eggs require no fertilization, and its offspring are nearly a genetic duplicate of the mother [1]. | These lizards are created by a hybridization of the western whiptail (which lives in the desert)[2,3,4] and the little striped whiptail (a grasslands lizard). Generally, crossbred species (like the mule) are typically sterile. However, the New Mexico Whiptail reproduces by a complex series of events (discussed above that appear like cloning) where it's eggs require no fertilization, and its offspring are nearly a genetic duplicate of the mother [1]. | ||
== Ecology == | == Ecology == | ||
