2023-08-06 12:20:23
In sexually reproducing animals, “virgin births” remain rare. But researchers have just managed to induce it in very common flies. A first that should help to better understand the mechanism.
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[EN VIDÉO] Here is the brain of a fly Researchers from Johns Hopkins University (United States) and the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) have been working for…
A “virgin birth”. It is a form of reproduction in which the female gives birth to offspring without the intervention of a male. Because an egg has turned into an embryo without needing to be fertilized by a sperm. Scientists speak more specifically of “parthenogenesis”. Because it happens in nature. The case of a female crocodile isolated for 16 years was presented recently.
And today, Cambridge University researchers (UK) report having, for the very first time, succeeded in inducing virgin births in animals. Very common flies in the laboratory. Of the Drosophila melanogaster. All by identifying and activating the genes responsible for the ability in this fly. In some six years, they have seen the birth of no less than 220,000 flies!
Virgin births, a problem among pests
The researchers point out that their flies only adopt the virgin birth tactic if they can’t find a male to mate with. They specify that 1 to 2% of the flies born by parthenogenesis have shown themselves, in turn, capable of reproducing without the intervention of a male. Enough to suggest that the strategy can be effective, in a crisis situation, to maintain the species.
Scientists are particularly interested in the phenomenon, because they observe a kind of trend of virgin births among insect pests. A trend that could eventually turn into generality. And pose a problem for agriculture, because the undesirable populations could then multiply even more quickly.
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