How all-female species avoid the shrinkage of their gene pool is among the ****** kingdom’s great mysteries. Now biologists think they’ve discovered the trick.
According to a study published Sunday in Nature, egg-producing cells in a Aspidoscelis tellesata, a ladies-only species of whiptail lizard, contain double the standard genetic complement. They pick the healthiest set of chromosomes, preventing the loss of vital variation.
“There’s an absence of sperm, and genetic information is never provided by another source. Anything that’s lost is lost for good,” said Peter Baumann, a University of Kansas cell biologist. “If there’s a way to prevent the loss, then how is that accomplished? That’s what our paper explains.”
