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Esposito G, Meletiadis A, Sciuto S, Prearo M, Gagliardi F, Corrias I, Pira A, Dondo A, Briguglio P, Ghittino C, Dedola D, Bozzetta E, Acutis PL, Pastorino P, Colussi S. First report of recurrent parthenogenesis as an adaptive reproductive strategy in the endangered common smooth-hound shark Mustelus mustelus. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17171. [PMID: 39060341 PMCID: PMC11282070 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67804-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Parthenogenesis, or virgin birth, describes a mode of reproduction where an egg develops into an offspring without fertilization, and is observed across various vertebrate taxa, excluding mammals. Obligate parthenogenesis, found in around 100 vertebrate species and 1000 invertebrate species, is relatively rare. Conversely, facultative parthenogenesis, where females can reproduce both sexually and parthenogenetically, is observed in some vertebrates, including elasmobranchs. Notably, this phenomenon in elasmobranchs is mainly documented in captivity, allowing for detailed long-term observation. Specifically, this study reports the first case of facultative parthenogenesis in the common smooth-hound shark Mustelus mustelus, a species classified by IUCN as endangered. Here we show that the juvenile M. mustelus were born through parthenogenesis, exhibiting homozygosity at each genetic marker, consistent with terminal fusion automixis. Remarkably, this finding reveals that parthenogenesis can occur annually in these sharks, alternating between two females, and conclusively excludes long-term sperm storage as a cause. Consequently, this enhances our understanding of parthenogenesis in elasmobranchs and highlights the reproductive flexibility of M. mustelus. Overall, these results contribute to our broader understanding of reproductive strategies in elasmobranchs, which could inform conservation efforts for endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Esposito
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy.
| | - Arianna Meletiadis
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Simona Sciuto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Marino Prearo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Flavio Gagliardi
- Panaque S.R.L. - Acquario Di Cala Gonone, Via La Favorita Snc, 08022, Cala Gonone, Dorgali, Italy
| | - Ilaria Corrias
- Panaque S.R.L. - Acquario Di Cala Gonone, Via La Favorita Snc, 08022, Cala Gonone, Dorgali, Italy
| | - Angela Pira
- Panaque S.R.L. - Acquario Di Cala Gonone, Via La Favorita Snc, 08022, Cala Gonone, Dorgali, Italy
| | - Alessandro Dondo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Paolo Briguglio
- Clinica Veterinaria Duemari, Via Cagliari 313, 09170, Oristano, Italy
| | - Claudio Ghittino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Daniele Dedola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Sardegna, Via Duca Degli Abruzzi 8, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Elena Bozzetta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Pier Luigi Acutis
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Paolo Pastorino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy.
| | - Silvia Colussi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
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2
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Booth W, Levine BA, Corush JB, Davis MA, Dwyer Q, De Plecker R, Schuett GW. Discovery of facultative parthenogenesis in a new world crocodile. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230129. [PMID: 37282490 PMCID: PMC10244963 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades, there has been an astounding growth in the documentation of vertebrate facultative parthenogenesis (FP). This unusual reproductive mode has been documented in birds, non-avian reptiles-specifically lizards and snakes-and elasmobranch fishes. Part of this growth among vertebrate taxa is attributable to awareness of the phenomenon itself and advances in molecular genetics/genomics and bioinformatics, and as such our understanding has developed considerably. Nonetheless, questions remain as to its occurrence outside of these vertebrate lineages, most notably in Chelonia (turtles) and Crocodylia (crocodiles, alligators and gharials). The latter group is particularly interesting because unlike all previously documented cases of FP in vertebrates, crocodilians lack sex chromosomes and sex determination is controlled by temperature. Here, using whole-genome sequencing data, we provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence of FP in a crocodilian, the American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus. The data support terminal fusion automixis as the reproductive mechanism; a finding which suggests a common evolutionary origin of FP across reptiles, crocodilians and birds. With FP now documented in the two main branches of extant archosaurs, this discovery offers tantalizing insights into the possible reproductive capabilities of the extinct archosaurian relatives of crocodilians and birds, notably members of Pterosauria and Dinosauria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren Booth
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM 88056, USA
| | - Brenna A. Levine
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM 88056, USA
- Department of Biology, Kean University, Union, NJ 07083, USA
| | - Joel B. Corush
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, IL 61820, USA
| | - Mark A. Davis
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, IL 61820, USA
| | - Quetzal Dwyer
- Reptilandia Reptile Lagoon, Johnson City, TX 78636, USA
| | - Roel De Plecker
- Parque Reptilandia, Dominical 5000, Puntarenas Province, 11902, Costa Rica
| | - Gordon W. Schuett
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM 88056, USA
- Department of Biology, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
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3
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Feldheim KA, Dubach J, Watson L. Parthenogenesis in an elasmobranch in the presence of conspecific males. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 102:525-527. [PMID: 36369968 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Parthenogenesis has been observed in several elasmobranch species, primarily in public aquaria. The majority of cases of parthenogenesis have occurred either when females were held without males or once a male was removed from a female's habitat. Here we report a second instance of parthenogenesis in a zebra shark female that was housed with conspecific mature males. This study calls into question the conditions under which elasmobranch females undergo parthenogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A Feldheim
- Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jean Dubach
- Loyola University, Chicago, Health Science Center, Comparative Medicine Facility, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Lise Watson
- John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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4
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Araújo PRV, Oddone MC, Evêncio-Neto J, Lessa R. Reproductive biology of the whitespotted eagle ray Aetobatus narinari (Myliobatiformes) captured in the coast of Paraíba and Pernambuco, Brazil. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 100:944-957. [PMID: 35224741 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The present study analysed aspects of reproductive biology based on macroscopic and microscopic structures of whitespotted eagle ray Aetobatus narinari captured by artisanal fishing off the coast of Paraíba and Pernambuco (7° 30' S, 34° 49' W; 7° 47' S, 34° 51' W), northeast Brazil. Of the 71 individuals in the sample, 55% were female (disc width - WD : 532-1698 mm) and 45% were male (WD : 442-1410 mm). The body size at which 50% of the individuals are mature (WD50 ) for males was 1155.8 mm; the clasper length varied between 24 and 184 mm. The WD50 for females was 1293.9 mm; the diameter of the largest vitellogenic follicle varied between 11 and 31 mm; and only the left ovary and uterus were functional. The microanatomy of the reproductive tract of males and females agrees with that of other elasmobranch species. In males, the highest hepato-somatic index (IH ) average and gonado-somatic index (IG ) average occurred in the third bimester of the year, whereas in females the highest values (average IH and IG , respectively) were in the second bimester of the year. Based on the information on reproduction of A. narinari from this study, it will be possible to contribute to the correct management and protection of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria C Oddone
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Setor de Morfologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Joaquim Evêncio-Neto
- Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia Animal (DMFA), Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Recife, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Lessa
- Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura (DEPAq), Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Recife, Brazil
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5
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Ryder OA, Thomas S, Judson JM, Romanov MN, Dandekar S, Papp JC, Sidak-Loftis LC, Walker K, Stalis IH, Mace M, Steiner CC, Chemnick LG. Facultative Parthenogenesis in California Condors. J Hered 2021; 112:569-574. [PMID: 34718632 PMCID: PMC8683835 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Parthenogenesis is a relatively rare event in birds, documented in unfertilized eggs from columbid, galliform, and passerine females with no access to males. In the critically endangered California condor, parentage analysis conducted utilizing polymorphic microsatellite loci has identified two instances of parthenogenetic development from the eggs of two females in the captive breeding program, each continuously housed with a reproductively capable male with whom they had produced offspring. Paternal genetic contribution to the two chicks was excluded. Both parthenotes possessed the expected male ZZ sex chromosomes and were homozygous for all evaluated markers inherited from their dams. These findings represent the first molecular marker-based identification of facultative parthenogenesis in an avian species, notably of females in regular contact with fertile males, and add to the phylogenetic breadth of vertebrate taxa documented to have reproduced via asexual reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver A Ryder
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
| | - Steven Thomas
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA.,SGI-DNA, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jessica Martin Judson
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA.,W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA
| | - Michael N Romanov
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA.,School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Sugandha Dandekar
- Human Genetics Department, GenoSeq Core, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jeanette C Papp
- Human Genetics Department, GenoSeq Core, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lindsay C Sidak-Loftis
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA.,Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Program in Vector-borne Diseases, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | | | - Ilse H Stalis
- Disease Investigations, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
| | - Michael Mace
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
| | - Cynthia C Steiner
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
| | - Leona G Chemnick
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
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6
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Artificial insemination and parthenogenesis in the whitespotted bamboo shark Chiloscyllium plagiosum. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9966. [PMID: 33980873 PMCID: PMC8116330 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88568-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-lethal methods for semen collection from elasmobranchs to better understand species reproduction has accompanied the development of artificial insemination. Ejaculates (n = 82) collected from whitespotted bamboo sharks Chiloscyllium plagiosum (n = 19) were assessed and cold-stored raw or extended at 4 °C. Females (n = 20) were inseminated with fresh or 24–48 h cold-stored raw or extended semen and paternity of offspring determined with microsatellite markers. Insemination of females with fresh semen (n = 10) resulted in 80 hatchlings and 27.6% fertility. Insemination of females with semen cold-stored 24 h (n = 4) and 48 h (n = 1) semen resulted in 17 hatchlings and fertilization rates of 28.1% and 7.1% respectively. Two females inseminated with fresh or cold-stored semen laid eggs that hatched from fertilization and parthenogenesis within the same clutch. Parthenogenesis rate for inseminated females was 0.71%. Results demonstrate artificial insemination with cold-stored semen can provide a strategy for transport of male genetics nationally and internationally, precluding the need to transport sharks. Production of parthenotes in the same clutch as sexually fertilized eggs highlights the prevalence of parthenogenesis in whitespotted bamboo sharks and poses important considerations for population management.
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7
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Card DC, Vonk FJ, Smalbrugge S, Casewell NR, Wüster W, Castoe TA, Schuett GW, Booth W. Genome-wide data implicate terminal fusion automixis in king cobra facultative parthenogenesis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7271. [PMID: 33790309 PMCID: PMC8012631 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86373-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Facultative parthenogenesis (FP) is widespread in the animal kingdom. In vertebrates it was first described in poultry nearly 70 years ago, and since then reports involving other taxa have increased considerably. In the last two decades, numerous reports of FP have emerged in elasmobranch fishes and squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes), including documentation in wild populations of both clades. When considered in concert with recent evidence of reproductive competence, the accumulating data suggest that the significance of FP in vertebrate evolution has been largely underestimated. Several fundamental questions regarding developmental mechanisms, nonetheless, remain unanswered. Specifically, what is the type of automixis that underlies the production of progeny and how does this impact the genomic diversity of the resulting parthenogens? Here, we addressed these questions through the application of next-generation sequencing to investigate a suspected case of parthenogenesis in a king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah). Our results provide the first evidence of FP in this species, and provide novel evidence that rejects gametic duplication and supports terminal fusion as a mechanism underlying parthenogenesis in snakes. Moreover, we precisely estimated heterozygosity in parthenogenetic offspring and found appreciable retained genetic diversity that suggests that FP in vertebrates has underappreciated evolutionary significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daren C Card
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Freek J Vonk
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sterrin Smalbrugge
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Groups, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Wolfgang Wüster
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group, School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.,Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM, USA
| | - Todd A Castoe
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Gordon W Schuett
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM, USA.,Department of Biology, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Warren Booth
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM, USA. .,Department of Biological Science, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA.
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8
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Cubides-Cubillos SD, Patané JSL, Pereira da Silva KM, Almeida-Santos SM, Polydoro DS, Galassi GG, Travaglia Cardoso SR, Silva MJDJ. Evidence of facultative parthenogenesis in three Neotropical pitviper species of the Bothrops atrox group. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10097. [PMID: 33240594 PMCID: PMC7680053 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined four suspected cases of facultative parthenogenesis in three species of a neotropical lineage of pitvipers of the Bothrops atrox group. Reproduction without mating was observed in captive females of B. atrox, B. moojeni and B. leucurus housed alone for seven years (the two former species) and nine years (the latter one). In addition to the observation of captivity data, we investigated molecularly this phenomenon using heterologous microsatellites. DNA was extracted from the mothers’ scales or liver, from embryo and newborn fragments, and yolked ova. Four of the microsatellites showed good amplification using Polymerase Chain Reaction and informative band segregation patterns among each mother and respective offspring. Captivity information, litter characteristics (comparison of the number of newborns, embryos and yolked ova) and molecular data altogether agreed with facultative parthenogenesis predictions in at least three out of the four mothers studied: B. atrox (ID#933) was heterozygous for three out of the four markers, and the sons S1 and S2 were homozygous; B. moojeni (BUT86) was heterozygous for two out of four markers, offspring S1, S3, E2, and E4, and O1 to O6 were homozygous; and B. leucurus (MJJS503) was heterozygous for three out of four markers, and son E1 and O1 were homozygous. B. moojeni (BUT44) was homozygous for all loci analyzed in the mother and offspring, which although not informative is also consistent with parthenogenesis. This study represents the first molecular confirmation of different pitviper species undergoing facultative parthenogenesis among Neotropical endemic snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José S L Patané
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
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9
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Flowers KI, Chapman DD, Kemp T, Wert D, Feldheim KA. Annual breeding in a captive smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2020; 97:1586-1589. [PMID: 32888190 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The critically endangered smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata reproduces biennially in central west Florida, U.S.A. Here we demonstrate that smalltooth sawfish are physiologically capable of reproducing annually in a captive environment. The smalltooth sawfish are held in an open system, with abiotic conditions that vary naturally with the surrounding environment in The Bahamas. This suggests wild smalltooth sawfish may also be capable of annual reproduction provided there are adequate prey resources, limited competition and mate availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn I Flowers
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Demian D Chapman
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Todd Kemp
- Marine and Aquarium Operations, Atlantis Paradise Island, Paradise Island, The Bahamas
| | - Dave Wert
- Marine and Aquarium Operations, Atlantis Paradise Island, Paradise Island, The Bahamas
| | - Kevin A Feldheim
- Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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10
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Penfold LM, Wyffels JT. Reproductive Science in Sharks and Rays. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1200:465-488. [PMID: 31471806 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-23633-5_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sharks and rays make up 96% of the class Chondrichthyes. They are among the most endangered of any taxa, threatened through habitat loss, overfishing and hunting for shark fin soup, traditional medicines or sport, and because many species are slow to mature and produce low numbers of offspring. Sharks and rays are ecologically and reproductively diverse, though basic knowledge of their reproductive physiology is lacking for many species. There has been a move towards non-lethal approaches of data collection in sharks and rays, especially with reproductive technologies such as ultrasound and hormone analysis. Additionally, technologies such as semen collection and artificial insemination are lending themselves to develop tools to manage small or closed populations, with cold-stored sperm being shipped between institutions to maximize genetic diversity in managed populations. The role of steroid hormones in elasmobranch reproduction appears broadly conserved, though heavily influenced by environmental cues, especially temperature. For this reason elasmobranchs are likely at risk of reproductive perturbations due to environmental changes such as ocean warming. Current reproductive technologies including computer assisted sperm assessments to study warming effects on sperm motility and intra-uterine satellite tags to determine birthing grounds will serve to generate data to mitigate anthropogenic changes that threaten the future of this vulnerable groups of fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda M Penfold
- South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction & Conservation, Yulee, FL, USA.
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11
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Calvete JJ, Casewell NR, Hernández-Guzmán U, Quesada-Bernat S, Sanz L, Rokyta DR, Storey D, Albulescu LO, Wüster W, Smith CF, Schuett GW, Booth W. Venom Complexity in a Pitviper Produced by Facultative Parthenogenesis. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11539. [PMID: 30068934 PMCID: PMC6070573 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29791-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Facultative parthenogenesis (FP) is asexual reproduction in plant and animal species that would otherwise reproduce sexually. This process in vertebrates typically results from automictic development (likely terminal fusion) and is phylogenetically widespread. In squamate reptiles and chondrichthyan fishes, FP has been reported to occur in nature and can result in the production of reproductively viable offspring; suggesting that it is of ecological and evolutionary significance. However, terminal fusion automixis is believed to result in near genome-wide reductions in heterozygosity; thus, FP seems likely to affect key phenotypic characters, yet this remains almost completely unstudied. Snake venom is a complex phenotypic character primarily used to subjugate prey and is thus tightly linked to individual fitness. Surprisingly, the composition and function of venom produced by a parthenogenetic pitviper exhibits a high degree of similarity to that of its mother and conspecifics from the same population. Therefore, the apparent loss of allelic diversity caused by FP appears unlikely to have a significant impact on the prey-capturing ability of this snake. Accordingly, the pitviper offspring produced by FP retained complex phenotypic characteristics associated with fitness. This result reinforces the potential ecological and evolutionary importance of FP and questions our understanding of the inheritance of venom-associated genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Calvete
- Evolutionary and Translational Venomics Laboratory, CSIC, Valencia, Spain.
| | - N R Casewell
- Alistair Reid Venom Research Unit, Parasitology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
| | - U Hernández-Guzmán
- Evolutionary and Translational Venomics Laboratory, CSIC, Valencia, Spain
- Laboratorio de Química de Biomacromoléculas, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Delegación Coyoacán C.P, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - S Quesada-Bernat
- Evolutionary and Translational Venomics Laboratory, CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - L Sanz
- Evolutionary and Translational Venomics Laboratory, CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - D R Rokyta
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - D Storey
- Alistair Reid Venom Research Unit, Parasitology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - L-O Albulescu
- Alistair Reid Venom Research Unit, Parasitology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - W Wüster
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, P.O. Box 376, Rodeo, NM, USA
| | - C F Smith
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, P.O. Box 376, Rodeo, NM, USA
- The Copperhead Institute, P.O. Box 6755, Spartanburg, SC, USA
- Department of Biology, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC, USA
| | - G W Schuett
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, P.O. Box 376, Rodeo, NM, USA
- The Copperhead Institute, P.O. Box 6755, Spartanburg, SC, USA
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - W Booth
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, P.O. Box 376, Rodeo, NM, USA
- The Copperhead Institute, P.O. Box 6755, Spartanburg, SC, USA
- Department of Biological Science, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
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12
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Feldheim KA, Fields AT, Chapman DD, Scharer RM, Poulakis GR. Insights into reproduction and behavior of the smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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13
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Feldheim KA, Clews A, Henningsen A, Todorov L, McDermott C, Meyers M, Bradley J, Pulver A, Anderson E, Marshall A. Multiple births by a captive swellshark Cephaloscyllium ventriosum via facultative parthenogenesis. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2017; 90:1047-1053. [PMID: 27861877 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Using a novel set of 12 microsatellites, a captive, adult female swellshark Cephaloscyllium ventriosum that produced five pups via parthenogenesis is described; naturally occurring parthenogenesis has been observed in every vertebrate class with the exception of mammals. As demonstrated in this study, a captive environment is ideal for long-term monitoring of animals under controlled conditions, and easily allows the detection of particular facets of their biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Feldheim
- Field Museum of Natural History, Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605, U.S.A
| | - A Clews
- National Aquarium, Animal Science and Welfare, Pier 3, 501 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202, U.S.A
| | - A Henningsen
- National Aquarium, Animal Science and Welfare, Pier 3, 501 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202, U.S.A
| | - L Todorov
- Field Museum of Natural History, Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605, U.S.A
| | - C McDermott
- National Aquarium, Animal Science and Welfare, Pier 3, 501 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202, U.S.A
| | - M Meyers
- National Aquarium, Animal Science and Welfare, Pier 3, 501 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202, U.S.A
| | - J Bradley
- National Aquarium, Animal Science and Welfare, Pier 3, 501 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202, U.S.A
| | - A Pulver
- National Aquarium, Animal Science and Welfare, Pier 3, 501 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202, U.S.A
| | - E Anderson
- National Aquarium, Animal Science and Welfare, Pier 3, 501 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202, U.S.A
| | - A Marshall
- America's Wildlife Museum & Aquarium, 500 West Sunshine Street, Springfield, MO, 65807, U.S.A
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14
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Switch from sexual to parthenogenetic reproduction in a zebra shark. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40537. [PMID: 28091617 PMCID: PMC5238396 DOI: 10.1038/srep40537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Parthenogenesis is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which embryos develop in the absence of fertilisation. Most commonly found in plants and invertebrate organisms, an increasing number of vertebrate species have recently been reported employing this reproductive strategy. Here we use DNA genotyping to report the first demonstration of an intra-individual switch from sexual to parthenogenetic reproduction in a shark species, the zebra shark Stegostoma fasciatum. A co-housed, sexually produced daughter zebra shark also commenced parthenogenetic reproduction at the onset of maturity without any prior mating. The demonstration of parthenogenesis in these two conspecific individuals with different sexual histories provides further support that elasmobranch fishes may flexibly adapt their reproductive strategy to environmental circumstances.
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Booth W, Schuett GW. The emerging phylogenetic pattern of parthenogenesis in snakes. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Warren Booth
- Department of Biological Sciences; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa OK 74104 USA
- The Copperhead Institute; PO Box 6755 Spartanburg SC 29304 USA
- Chiricahua Desert Museum; PO Box 376 Rodeo NM 88056 USA
| | - Gordon W. Schuett
- The Copperhead Institute; PO Box 6755 Spartanburg SC 29304 USA
- Chiricahua Desert Museum; PO Box 376 Rodeo NM 88056 USA
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Institute; Georgia State University; Atlanta GA 30303 USA
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