A shark pup was born in an all-female aquarium tank. How exactly could that happen?
A Louisiana aquarium welcomed a new baby shark to its facilities earlier this month, but staff are unsure of exactly where it came from.
On Jan. 3, a swell shark egg hatched at Shreveport Aquarium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The egg was discovered by aquarium staff in a female shark tank about eight months ago, but it may have remained undetected for a month or two before, according to a news release.
What makes the egg's discovery puzzling is that no male sharks reside in the female tank. Furthermore, aquarium staff determined that the two female sharks in the tank with the egg hadn't been in contact with a male in more than three years, according to a news release.
So how does a shark egg appear, seemingly out of the blue? Here's what aquarium staff think.
How was the shark egg produced?
There are two possibilities for how the swell shark may have come to be, aquarium staff said.
First, the egg may have been a result of parthenogenesis, a rare form of asexual reproduction.
While asexual reproduction is common among many plants and invertebrates, parthenogenesis, in which an egg develops, is more rare in vertebrates. And scientists are still unsure of exactly why it happens. One hypothesis is parthenogenesis occurs when females lack a male presence, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
Aquarium staff predict that rather than asexual prediction, maybe the baby shark was a result of delayed fertilization, where fertilization occurs long after mating.
To confirm the exact cause, aquarium staff will take a blood draw of the baby shark, when it's old enough, to analyze its DNA, according to a news release.
'This situation is incredible and shows the resilience of this species,' Greg Barrick, curator of live animals at Shreveport Aquarium, said in a news release. 'We are very excited in the coming months to confirm whether this was indeed a case of parthenogenesis or if it was delayed fertilization. It really proves that life ... uh ... finds a way.'
Groundhog Day:PETA suggests 'weather reveal' cake to replace famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil
Baby swell shark is named Yoko
Aquarium staff named the baby swell shark Yoko after the Chumash word for shark, "onyoko," according to a news release.
As aquarium staff continue to study Yoko, the baby shark will remain monitored outside of a public exhibit.
Young sharks born through rare reproductive events often face significant challenges.
While asexual reproduction can be good for rapidly reproducing organisms, it's not ideal for organisms with long reproductive cycles like sharks, as it stunts genetic diversity, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
What is a swell shark?
Swell sharks are native to the eastern Pacific Ocean and are known for their agility to swell their bodies with water or air to deter predators.
Remembering Charlotte stingray
Due to its rarity, asexual reproduction discovered in animals often makes headlines, but sometimes, predictions are made too early.
In late 2023, The Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team Ecco in Hendersonville, North Carolina made waves when it announced that a stingray named Charlotte was pregnant, despite it being the only female stingray in its enclosure.
But after about six months of sharing the news, the now defunct organization said Charlotte wasn't actually pregnant. Rather, she had a "a rare reproductive disease that has negatively impacted her reproductive system."
Initially, Team Ecco thought Charlotte may have experienced parthenogenesis or was a part of a "stingray-shark hybrid," because she resided with male sharks, but these theories were all debunked. It is biologically impossible for stingrays and sharks to cross-match and Charlotte's reported gestation period was too long for the species. Typically, stingrays are pregnant for four to five months, but Charlotte would have been about four months overdue, dependent on the timeline shared by Team Ecco.
Sadly, Charlotte the stingray died in June 2024, not long after her reproductive disease was announced.
Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Ancient wooden spears found in Germany may have been wielded by Neanderthals, a new study suggests
NEW YORK (AP) — A set of ancient wooden spears may be younger than scientists thought and wielded by Neanderthals instead of their ancestors. The complete spears made of spruce and pine are among the oldest known hunting weapons. They were discovered in a coal mine over two decades ago in the German town of Schöningen along with the remains of nearly 50 horses. Previous estimates dated the spears to 300,000 years ago so scientists thought the weapons belonged to a group of early humans called Homo heidelbergensis — thought to be the last common ancestor between humans and Neanderthals. But the new analysis using a different dating technique suggests the spears are younger, placing them about 200,000 years old. The new age means the hunting weapons may have been used by Neanderthals instead, according to research published Friday in the journal Science Advances. Recent work has suggested that some Neanderthals mixed and mated with early humans. The balanced, well-crafted spears could help scientists understand what Neanderthals were capable of and how they worked together to hunt. The spears are 'pretty sophisticated for something that old," said study co-author Jarod Hutson with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. But it's not yet clear why the new dating disagrees with previous estimates. Archaeologist Thomas Terberger with the University of Göttingen said more research is needed to be sure of the spears' age and who used them to hunt. 'For the moment, I find the arguments interesting, but not absolutely convincing,' said Terberger, who had no role in the new study. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Injuries, missing teeth and infection: PETA raises concerns from UMass monkey lab records
In hopes to better understand Alzheimer's disease, University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers began studying marmosets. But People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said the monkeys were harmed in the process, experiencing injuries, missing teeth and infections. Now, PETA is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate 'possible violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).' 'The marmosets in Dr. [Agnès] Lacreuse's laboratory are being forced to spend their entire lives in a cage, enduring multiple major surgical procedures, frequent fluid restriction, lengthy restraint, and ultimately, death and dissection,' PETA neuroscientist Katherine Roe said in a statement. '... when you add how consistently Lacreuse and her laboratory staff fail to provide these long-suffering animals even the minimal care required by law, resulting in illnesses and injuries, it is absolutely infuriating. It should be shut down immediately.' In April, the university and PETA settled a 2022 public records lawsuit after PETA had filed three public records requests over 16 months, but UMass did not produce appropriate materials as mandated by state records law, PETA claimed. PETA recently received the records and shared them with MassLive. In the lawsuit, filed in Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston, PETA said that UMass researchers perform experiments that mistreat animals and house creatures, including marmoset monkeys and hamsters, in cramped and inhumane conditions. The university maintains that the animal welfare organization's assertions misrepresent its laboratories and research. 'UMass experimenters have a long history of animal welfare violations, and these latest records show they are either unwilling or unable to meet bare minimum federal standards,' Roe said. 'PETA urges the USDA to investigate promptly and take appropriate action to force UMass into compliance.' But UMass continues to emphasize the importance of animals in research projects stating that 'nearly every Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine has relied on animal data for their research,' including developing vaccines for COVID-19 and cancer immunotherapies. 'Before embarking on a project, researchers must carefully consider and justify why there is no alternative to an animal model, how many animals are necessary to answer specific questions, and provide a detailed protocol for experiments for approval. Our researchers are committed to caring for animal models with the highest ethical standards and with rigorous compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and guidelines,' UMass said in a statement. The focus of PETA's inquiry was experiments that UMass said aim to better understand Alzheimer's disease by studying marmosets. The monkeys' short lifespans — about a decade — and cognitive decline with age allow researchers to track brain function over a manageable timeline, compared to the decades it would take to study a human across their whole life. UMass' experiments gauge cognitive functions in the marmosets by asking them to identify shapes and odors and solve tests using fine motor skills. The researchers also track the monkeys' sleep, according to an informational webpage. PETA has previously levied an assortment of accusations against UMass concerning the research — that experimenters 'drill into [marmosets] skulls and implant electrodes,' that they 'cut out [monkeys] ovaries and heat the animals with hand warmers' and that they keep monkeys in solitary confinement. UMass and lead UMass researcher Agnès Lacreuse dispute each of these complaints. 'An attending veterinarian oversees the care of animals, with oversight from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) that is established by federal mandate. All animal facilities are regulated for heat, air conditioning, ventilation, humidity, lighting and access. Facilities are cleaned and checked on a regular schedule in compliance with federal animal welfare laws. Animal Care staff feed, water, and check the animals' health and well-being every day, year-round. Animals are provided environmental enrichment, such as toys and treats as appropriate,' UMass said in a statement. The researchers implant a 'small telemeter' on the monkeys' heads, just under the skin, to record brain activity, Lacreuse said. A licensed veterinarian conducts the surgery, she said, and allows researchers to track monkeys' sleep without disturbing them. Lacreuse's website acknowledged neutering and spaying the animals, which for female marmosets involves removing their ovaries. The process is the same as with a house cat or pet dog, Lacreuse said, and the animals are given appropriate anesthetics and medications during the surgery conducted by a veterinarian. The monkeys are also heated with hand warmers to simulate the symptoms of menopause, a process they do not go through naturally. While PETA has previously questioned the necessity and humanity of the experiment, Lacreuse said that understanding marmosets' ability to regulate their body temperature could prove key to understanding the symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes. Part of the research involves studying women's health to understand why women make up two-thirds of Alzheimer's cases, Lacreuse said. But the newly released records look at different aspects of the study and how UMass treats the animals. The records state there were numerous health issues with the monkeys, including dental disease, broken teeth and chronic diarrhea. The records state there were many follow-ups on 'loose stool outbreak in [the] colony' during October 2023. But PETA fears not enough was done. 'For many of these health issues, the records provide no indication that UMass made meaningful efforts to either treat the conditions effectively or investigate their underlying causes to prevent recurrence,' the letter to the USDA states. Multiple records state some of the monkeys were 'thin.' This, PETA claims, 'could signal the onset of chronic wasting syndrome, a debilitating condition in marmosets associated with severe health deficits, including muscle loss, weakness, and organ dysfunction.' Again, PETA worries UMass did not make 'meaningful or sustained efforts to investigate or address the animals' condition.' PETA also claims UMass documented multiple incidents in which marmosets were injured 'due to improper handling, unsafe caging, or an altercation with a neighbor.' For example, records show that a monkey named Chloe had a partial nail avulsion, which could've been caused by a cage conflict. Other situations involved the marmosets being injured but it was unclear how. On March 21, 2024, a marmoset named Gabrielle noted to be not bearing weight on her right rear leg. She was given painkillers, but a few days later she was 'still reluctant to use' the affected leg. UMass noted that on April 3, 2024, Gabrielle was observed climbing out of her hammock, but she seemed to not use her right leg and foot to grasp the side of her cage. 'On April 5, [2024] a notation in Gabrielle's records suggests that her leg may have been reinjured when she was captured for a cage wash,' PETA wrote regarding UMass' notes, adding that three days later she could not fully straighten the affected leg. By the end of May, the marmoset's injury appeared to be 'stable and resolved,' according to records. But she continued to prefer to use the other leg at this point. 'While Gabrielle was administered painkillers meloxicam and gabapentin to address her leg injury, the records do not indicate that any effort was made to determine how she was injured,' PETA wrote. The letter details issues with each of the 10 marmosets. MassLive reporter Will Katcher contributed to this reporting. More News Read the original article on MassLive.
Epoch Times
05-05-2025
- Epoch Times
National Institutes of Health Ends Experiments on Beagles
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has ended experiments on beagles, the agency's director said on May 4. 'We got rid of all of the beagle experiments on the NIH campus,' Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the NIH, said on Fox News. The NIH The announcement means the NIH no longer has any in-house dog labs, according to the White Coat Waste Project, which has been tracking the agency's dog experiments for years. The tests on beagles at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, have been taking place since at least 1986 and have resulted in the killing of thousands of dogs, according to the group. The testing involved giving the beagles pneumonia-causing bacteria and bleeding them out, forcing them into septic shock. 'Taxpayers and pet owners shouldn't be forced to pay for the NIH's beagle abuse, and now, following a White Coat Waste campaign, they won't have to,' Anthony Bellotti, president and founder of the government watchdog, told The Epoch Times via email. Related Stories 5/1/2025 4/11/2025 The group said it will keep working to end similar experiments that are funded with taxpayer money and conducted elsewhere. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which sued the NIH over the experiments, said its supporters have sent tens of thousands of emails to NIH officials urging the officials to end them. 'PETA welcomes the long-overdue news that NIH is canceling at least one of the appalling sepsis experiments that inflicted prolonged suffering on animals in federal and federally funded laboratories,' Dr. Emily Trunell, PETA's director of science advancement and outreach, told The Epoch Times in an email. 'Since 2013, PETA has argued for the complete termination of these cruel and scientifically worthless experiments on ALL animals—and we will continue to fight until every last one is ended.' Lawmakers from both parties had expressed concern over the beagle experiments. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) and Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) were among the lawmakers to cheer Bhattacharya's announcement. The NIH had recently 'It's very easy, for instance, to cure Alzheimer's in mice. But those things don't translate to humans,' Bhattacharya said on Fox. 'So we put forward a policy to replace animals in research with technological advances, AI, and other tools that actually translate better to human health.'
