A female skate that lives in the aquarium of a small town of USA will give birth to her young even though she has never shared her tank with a male of her own species. As a result, she became the local… star but also attracted the interest of scientists.

Charlotte, hosted at Henderson, North Carolina for eight years, it developed an unusual “tumor” around the end of November. Her caregivers were initially worried it was cancer. “It started to swell up more and more and we thought it was malignant,” said Kinsale Boyette, a veterinarian and deputy director of the aquarium. Such cysts are known to develop in the reproductive organs of non-mating salachis.

But the ultrasound exploded like a bomb for another reason: it was eggs.

THE Charlotte the sled she can give birth from day to day. Parthenogenesis is extremely rare and the gestation period differs from the usual three to four months.

Whenever she gives birth anyway, the small town is already on its feet. After being closed for a long time for maintenance, the aquarium reopened on Thursday and “everyone who comes wants to see Miss Charlotte,” said Boyette.

The possibility of monoparental reproduction, i.e. without the contribution of the male, is considered rare although it has been observed in many vertebrates, such as birds, reptiles, and fish. But there is no record in mammals.

“To invoke Jurassic Park, life always finds its way,” said Brian Legar, of the Massachusetts Center for Marine Research. Animals that cannot mate sometimes activate a process called parthenogenesis, he explained. Small cells called polar bodies that form at the same time as the eggs – and which under normal conditions disintegrate – fuse back with the egg, creating the necessary genetic material to form a viable embryo.

It’s hard to say how often this happens, Legar said. Every year or two, a case of a shark or stingray living in an aquarium and reproducing by parthenogenesis is reported. Something like this could happen in nature, but it would have to be confirmed with genetic tests.

Compared to normal pregnancies, the risk of developing health problems increases.

Scientists note that amphigenous reproduction offers advantages in the evolution of species, but requires finding a sexual partner. “With parthenogenesis, there are also advantages, you can celebrate Valentine’s Day yourself,” Legar joked.

In addition to her unusual pregnancy, Charlotte, who lives in the company of five small sharks, charms visitors to the aquarium thanks to her personality. “I was with her in the tank today and she was doing circles because we had a group of kids here and she really likes to be the center of attention. She’s adorable,” said Boyette.

This species of lizard incubates the eggs inside its body and gives birth to live young, up to four at a time. In the event that Charlotte acquires four newts, the aquarium hopes to be able to double the size of their tank.