Created Sun 12th Oct 6:24pm PDT by 
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Will it be reported that another species of animal has been immaculately conceived in the next year?
Current forecast: 34% chance 
5%
5%
Combining all predictions, the current forecast is that this is 34% likely to happen (down 5% in last 1 day)
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'.
Make your prediction!
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Activity: H$33,874
Question suspends in 45 weeks
Suspend date: Wed 14th Oct 2009 12:59am PDT (45 weeks to go)
Initial likelihoods: Yes: 55%
Action history:
Created Sun 12th Oct 6:24pm PDT by tisha
tisha
Changed Description Sun 12th Oct 6:54pm PDT 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 ... 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 6:54pm PDT 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/>
Suspend date: Wed 14th Oct 2009 12:59am PDT (45 weeks to go)
more info...
Get widget!Predictions (23)
23 predictions
filanator
bigken1
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predicted No (H$1,000 at 53%)Comments (2)
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