Maybe females could live without males, at least for Komodo dragons. These behemoths of the reptile world can produce babies without fertilization by a male, scientists recently discovered.
Currently at London's Chester Zoo, one mother-to-be named Flora is waiting for her eight offspring to hatch, each one the result of a process called parthenogenesis--or a virgin conception.
"Parthenogenesis has never been documented in Komodo dragons before now, so this is absolutely a world first," said co-researcher Kevin Buley of Chester Zoo.
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