Could it possibly be a virgin birth? A strange case has surprised scientists from North Carolina, USA. Charlotte, a female stingray, has become pregnant. The strange detail is that the ray has not had contact with a male for eight years. However, everything points to a shark staying in the same aquarium with her. The story went viral on social media.
YOU CAN SEE: Numbers revealed! Latina woman reveals how much money she paid for her role in 'Caso Cerrado'
Possible explanations for a manta ray's pregnancy in the United States
The biologists and veterinarians Aquarium & Shark Lab In Hendersonville, North Carolinathey noticed swelling Charlotte last September. After running several tests and believing it was cancer, they discovered she was pregnant with multiple babies.
“We have been doing ultrasound scans on our ray Charlotte since September when he started to swell. We documented several 'growths' internally and initially thought it was cancer,” aquarium staff told British media. Chron.
The doctor Rob Jonesthe aquarium's veterinarian, told the aforementioned media that Charlotte's pregnancy confused him since there are no male manta rays in the aquarium.
According to local media ABC13, Brenda RamerFounder and Managing Director of Team Aquarium & Shark Lab from Team ECCOstated that there are two explanations for Charlotte's impregnation: The first is a process known as parthenogenesis.
This event occurs when the eggs develop on their own without fertilization and form a clone of the mother. “There have been very few cases of parthenogenesis in rays,” Jones told the Chron.
The other, somewhat far-fetched theory is: Charlotte She may have been impregnated by one of the male sharks she lives with in the aquarium. North Carolina.
Charlotte is a stingray who was surprised to find herself pregnant without having had contact with the males of her species. Photo: Times-News
YOU CAN SEE: American couple books hotel for honeymoon in Mexico and discovers only they are staying
Is a shark responsible for the manta ray's pregnancy?
“In mid-July 2023, we placed two one-year-old male white-spotted catfish in this tank. We couldn't find out anything definite about their maturity rate, so we thought there wouldn't be a problem,” an aquarium spokesman told The Associated Press New York Post.
“We started noticing bite marks on Charlotte, but we saw other fish nibbling on her, so we moved the fish, but the bites persisted,” Jones said ABC13.
According to the scientists who look after the aquarium North CarolinaThe presence of bite marks suggests shark mating, which led to speculation that one of the animals is the ancestor.
However, experts quickly refuted this theory. Kady Lyonsresearch assistant at Georgia Aquarium, stated that mating between sharks and manta rays is impossible. This is due to differences in size, anatomy and DNA.
Lyons He stated that the puppies will undergo a DNA test after birth to determine whether they are a mixed breed or clones of their mother.
Charlotte's story has attracted attention in various parts of the world and led to high attendance at the aquarium. Photo: Visit NC