Parthenogenesis in a large-bodied requiem shark, the blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus

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 parthenogen...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of fish biology 2008-10, Vol.73 (6), p.1473-1477
Main Authors: Chapman, D. D., Firchau, B., Shivji, M. S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
automixis
Carcharhinidae
Carcharhinus limbatus
Chondrichthyes
diversity
evolution
genetic management
Marine
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary: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.
ISSN:0022-1112
1095-8649
DOI:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.02018.x