One Sentence Summary: A Zebra Shark Surprises Scientists by Giving Birth Without a Male

Three-Sentence Summary: A female zebra shark from Reef HQ aquarium (Queensland,

Australia) named Leonie, who used to reproduce sexually, surprised scientists by suddenly
producing offspring asexually. This is the first time that a shark (who had previously been
reproducing with a mate) had shown signs of switching its reproductive strategy from sexual to
asexual, or parthenogenesis. Several theories surround this sudden switch; one such theory
states that some animals, if for some reason cannot have contact with the opposite gender for
one breeding season, adapt and asexually reproduce until such time that they can reproduce
the “traditional” way, which may have been the case with Leonie the Zebra shark.

Significance: Because it is only the third time that a previously sexually-reproducing animal has
adapted with parthenogenesis, scientists are keeping an eye on Leonie’s offspring to see if the
reduction in their genetic makeup will have an effect on their survival. Scientists want to observe
this phenomenon and explore the possible role of the switch to asexual reproduction in
preserving the continuity of the endangered zebra shark species.