Will it be reported that another species of animal has been immaculately conceived in the next year?
Settled as No
Background: Recently, scientists used DNA tests to confirm that a female Atlantic blacktip shark named Tidbit had produced a baby in a Virginia zoo. Nothing special about this ... except that the female had had no contact with any males of her species!
This type of immaculate conception is known by scientists as spontaneous parthenogenesis. It occurs when a baby is conceived without male sperm fertilizing the female's eggs. In the type of parthenogenesis seen in sharks, the mother's chromosomes split during egg development. How the sharks do it is unclear. They may use a hormone to trigger eggs to develop in this manner in the absence of males. Or perhaps if eggs remain unfertilized with no males around, a certain fraction develop into embryos.
There is only one other known instance of this happening with sharks. However, other species known to be able to reproduce in this way include komodo dragons, snakes, birds, fish and amphibians.
Read more here.
This type of immaculate conception is known by scientists as spontaneous parthenogenesis. It occurs when a baby is conceived without male sperm fertilizing the female's eggs. In the type of parthenogenesis seen in sharks, the mother's chromosomes split during egg development. How the sharks do it is unclear. They may use a hormone to trigger eggs to develop in this manner in the absence of males. Or perhaps if eggs remain unfertilized with no males around, a certain fraction develop into embryos.
There is only one other known instance of this happening with sharks. However, other species known to be able to reproduce in this way include komodo dragons, snakes, birds, fish and amphibians.
Read more here.
Settlement details:As reported by a major mainstream news source. Must be a species (not just new subspecies, eg grey nurse shark) that has no previous recordings of parthenogenesis. If no news by suspend date, question will settle as 'no'.
Forecast history %
| Yes |
| |||
| No |
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Settled as No on Thu 15th Oct 1:12pm PST
- Activity: H$121,189 |
- Predictions: 85 |
Comments: 3
Suspend date: Tue 13th Oct 11:59pm PST
Settlement date: Thu 15th Oct 1:12pm PST
Prediction cut-off: Predictions on this question after Tue 13th Oct 11:59pm PST have been voided because they were made after the question could be settled
Initial likelihoods: Yes: 55%
Action history:
Changed Description Sun 12th Oct 2008 5:54pm PST by 
tisha![[Admin]](http://www.hubdub.com/images/icon_admin.gif "This user is an admin")
: show details
tisha: show details ... any males of her species! <!<br/> <br/> This type of ... certain fraction develop into embryos. <.<br/> <br/> There is only ... fish and amphibians. <br/> <br/> Read more<a href='http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE4990VA20081010?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0
Changed Description Sun 12th Oct 2008 5:54pm PST by tisha: show details
tisha: show details ... amphibians. <br/> <br/> Read more< <a href='="http://www.reuters.com/article/ ... ?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0'>">here</a>.<br/>
Changed Description Sun 12th Oct 2008 5:56pm PST by tisha: show details
tisha: show details ... any males of her species!<! <br/> <br/> This type of ... certain fraction develop into embryos.<. <br/> <br/> There is only ... article/scienceNews/idUSTRE4990VA20081010?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0">here</a>.<>. <br/>
Changed Settlement info Sun 12th Oct 2008 5:56pm PST by tisha: show details
tisha: show details ... a major mainstream news source.. Must be a species (not just new subspecies, eg grey nurse shark) that has no previous recordings of parthenogenesis. If no news by suspend date, question will settle as 'no'.
Suspended Tue 13th Oct 11:59pm PST : Suspend date reached
Settlement requested Wed 14th Oct 7:42pm PST by 
dieseldog
: no news of another species of animal has been immaculately conceived. please settle as no.
dieseldog: no news of another species of animal has been immaculately conceived. please settle as no.
Settlement requested Wed 14th Oct 8:25pm PST by 
gonegonegone
: No major news agencies searched on the net produced any reports of immaculate conception amongst species other than sharks.
gonegonegone: No major news agencies searched on the net produced any reports of immaculate conception amongst species other than sharks. 
Suspend date: Tue 13th Oct 11:59pm PST
Settlement date: Thu 15th Oct 1:12pm PST
Prediction cut-off: Predictions on this question after Tue 13th Oct 11:59pm PST have been voided because they were made after the question could be settled details 
Get widget!Predictions (85)
stephenryku
predicted No (H$1,730 at 77%)
monkey_man_444
predicted Yes (H$50 at 24%)Comments (3)
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