OMAHA, Nebraska (12 Jan 2002) -- Shark experts are baffled by the 'virgin birth' of a bonnethead shark at Nebraska zoo, because the mother (along with several other females of the same species) has been isolated in a tank that has no male sharks. "If we solve this mystery, it's going to make one of the most interesting scientific papers in a long time," said Dr. Lee Simmons, director of the Henry Doorly Zoo. There is a male shark in the same tank, but it is a different species. Any mating, Simmons said, would be like "a Chihuahua impregnating a Saint Bernard." DNA tests were begun this week on tissue and blood samples taken from each of the three female bonnetheads and the pup, which died soon after birth - presumably from being bitten by a stingray that lives in the same tank. | | Bonnethead shark Several weeks of testing will be needed to determine which shark was the mother and who might have fathered the pup. The zoo consulted shark experts across the world, but Simmons said they also are stumped. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORKSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
