First Case of crocodile making herself pregnant

The first case of a crocodile who made herself pregnant has been identified at a zoo in Costa Rica. She produced a foetus that was 99.9% genetically identical to herself. The phenomenon of “virgin birth” has been found in species of birds, fish and other reptiles, but never before in crocodiles. The egg was laid by an 18-year-old female American crocodile in Parque Reptilania in January 2018. Dr Warren Booth, who has been studying parthenogenesis for 11 years, analysed the foetus and found that it was more than 99.9% genetically identical to its mother. This suggests that parthenogenesis is an ancient trait that has been inherited throughout the ages, suggesting that dinosaurs could also reproduce this way.