Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A group of researchers was able to successfully engineer "virgin birth" in fruit flies.</li><li>Asexual reproduction, or parthenogenesis, is common in nature, but had never been engineered.</li></ul>Scientists say they have created "virgin births" in female fruit flies for the first time.Researchers were able to identify a gene that allowed the insects to reproduce without sperm from a father."We're the first to show that you can engineer virgin births to happen in an animal," said Dr. Alexis Sperling, a researcher at the University of Cambridge who was involved in the study. "It was very exciting to see a virgin fly produce an embryo able to develop to adulthood, and then repeat the process."<h2>Switching 'on' the right genes</h2>Virgin births, known as facultative parthenogenesis, have been seen before in bees, ants, lizards, snakes, fish, and birds. The offspring of a virgin birth are always female and genetically very similar to their mothers. The researchers first sequenced the genome of one species of fruit fly, Drosophila mercatorum, which has the ability to reproduce both sexually and through parthenogenesis.This species was then compared to another that cannot reproduce without mating, the Drosophila melanogaster. After noting which genes were potentially responsible for the parthenogenesis, the researchers changed the genetic composition of the Drosophila melanogaster, in different combinations, to match that of the Drosophila mercatorum.At the end of a six-year research period, about 11% of the genetically engineered flies were able to successfully reproduce without a male partner. "I couldn't believe it," Sperling told<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2023/07/28/animals-asexual-reproduction-genetic-discovery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> the Washington Post</a>. "We saw the development of the embryos, and they looked pretty sketchy, but eventually they kind of sorted out and developed into adult flies."<h2>A backup for isolated females</h2>The experiment was conducted on fruit flies because they are<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160932713000379" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> model organisms</a>, or simple non-human species that are usually studied to better understand biology."Fruit flies are incredibly special because they are basically the first model organism and have been studied for over 100 years," Sperling told the Post.Hannah Maude, a researcher at Imperial College London, told <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/scientists-conceive-virgin-birth-in-fruit-flies-9gvg90zln" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Times</a> the same process wouldn't allow humans to ever reproduce without a man. "Our diversity protects us: having two copies of the DNA not only provides a backup for harmful DNA variants found in every person but is necessary for so-called imprinted regions, which are specifically active from the maternal or paternal DNA copy," she said.Virgin births could help certain species and act as a "backup" for isolated females, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jul/28/scientists-induce-virgin-births-in-fruit-flies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian.</a>But understanding parthenogenesis could help with the control of insect populations, the paper notes.For example, Sperling told<a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=fc94644969ba5f346fdf586c1ddbdf5a3b2befffb37b612db6e11ab323959ef0&amp;postID=64c506c5cf0bcd50abd47207&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fd41586-023-02404-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Nature,</a> a type of moth in the UK turned to parthenogenesis when the use of pesticides hindered the reproductive capabilities of males.Figuring out which pest-control methods trigger parthenogenesis in insects could help keep them under control.

Scientists say they have induced 'virgin births' in fruit flies for the first time by switching on the right genes

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A baby <keyword id="11976459" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="shark" source="Orion">shark</keyword> has been born in an all-female tank at an Italian <keyword id="11976460" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="aquarium" source="Orion">aquarium</keyword>.</li><li>The baby's mother had been in the tank with one other female for ten years.</li><li>Scientists say it could be a rare case of a 'virgin birth', also known as parthenogenesis.</li></ul>Scientists say a rare shark "virgin birth" may be the first of its kind after a baby shark was born in an all-female tank in an Italian aquarium.The baby smoothhound shark, named Ispera, which means hope in Sardianian, was born at the Acquario di Cala Gonone in Sardinia, <keyword id="11905554" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="italy" source="Orion">Italy</keyword>, according to <a href="https://www.agi.it/cronaca/news/2021-08-14/nasce-squalo-in-acquario-cala-gonne-si-pensa-a-partenogenesi-13580111/">Italian outlet AGI</a>.Its mother had spent ten years living in a tank with one other female, the outlet said, and scientists suspect the newborn could be the first documented case of shark parthenogenesis in that species.Parthenogenesis is a rare phenomenon where an egg develops into an embryo without being fertilized by a sperm.The process has been observed in more than 80 vertebrate species, according to <a href="https://www.livescience.com/aquarium-shark-virgin-birth.html">Live Science</a>, including sharks, fish, and reptiles."About 15 species of sharks and rays are known to do this," Demian Chapman, director of the sharks and rays conservation program at Mote Marine Laboratory &amp; Aquarium in Florida, told Live <keyword id="11896083" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="science" source="Orion">Science</keyword>.He added that while sharks probably had the ability to do it, it was difficult to document in the wild.Chapman told Live Science that in the wild, parthenogenesis might be the last resort for females that cannot find a mate in situations of low population density.The response can also be triggered in captive sharks who are separated from males for long periods of time, he said.There are two different types of parthenogenesis, according to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/parthenogenesis-how-animals-have-virgin-births?loggedin=true">National Geographic.</a>One is apomixis, a type of cloning most common in plants.The other, documented in sharks, is automixis, which involves the slight shuffling of the mother's genes to create offspring similar to the mother but not exact clones.Researcher Christine Dudgeon from the University of Queensland in Australia told Live Science how parthenogenesis worked."Rather than combining with a sperm cell to make an embryo, [the egg cell] combines with a polar body, which is essentially another cell that is produced at the same time that the egg cell is produced and has the complementary DNA," Dudgeon told Live Science."Parthenogenesis is essentially a form of inbreeding, as the genetic diversity of the offspring is greatly reduced," Dudgeon added.As a result, parthenogenesis offspring could have a reduced chance of survival, she said.Marine biologists at the Italian aquarium have sent DNA samples to a laboratory to confirm that Ispera was born through parthenogenesis, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/08/19/miracle-baby-shark-born-asexually-in-all-female-tank/">New York Post</a> reported.

A baby shark born in all-female tank could be a rare case of a 'virgin birth'

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson Reuters</div></div></div>Yes, you read that right.Virgin birth is a thing, and it's been happening for millennia in some animals.It's something called <a href="http://www.ansci.wisc.edu/jjp1/ansci_repro/misc/project_websites_08/tues/Komodo%20Dragons/what.htm">parthenogenesis</a>, which basically just means reproduction without fertilization. The mother provides both sets of the DNA necessary to create an embryo, which is typically female.Here are the animals that are capable of having offspring that's genetically all theirs.

Virgin births really happen - here are the animals that prove it

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson Reuters</div></div></div>Yes, you read that right.Virgin births are a thing, and they've been happening for millennia in some animals.It's something called <a href="http://www.ansci.wisc.edu/jjp1/ansci_repro/misc/project_websites_08/tues/Komodo%20Dragons/what.htm">parthenogenesis</a>, which basically just means reproduction without fertilization.The mother provides both sets of the DNA necessary to create an embryo, which is typically female.Here are the animals that are capable of having offspring that's genetically all theirs. (Spoiler alert: humans aren't there quite yet.)

A surprising number of animals can reproduce without sex

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A stingray in a North Carolina aquarium became pregnant without a male in the tank.</li><li>Scientists believe that a male shark could be the father.</li></ul>Staff at an aquarium in North Carolina were left confused after a stingray became pregnant despite there not being a male in her tank.Scientists have a few theories about how this might have happened — and one involves a male shark.The Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team Ecco in Hendersonville was initially concerned that the stingray had cancer when she began to swell. However, an ultrasound later revealed that the growths were eggs, the lab’s executive director wrote in a <a target="_blank" href="https://ncsciencetrail.org/science-blog/small-nc-mountain-aquarium-announces-unusual-reproduction-in-sharks-and-rays/">blog post.</a>The director, April Smith, said that one possible explanation was parthenogenesis, a process in which a female can produce an embryo asexually without an egg being fertilized with sperm.She said that this was a survival mechanism that allows for the preservation of a species and typically happens in situations where no males are present, such as in a zoo or aquarium or even in a secluded area of the deep sea.However, scientists developed another theory when they noticed bite marks on the stingray. The stingray had been sharing her tank with two white-spot bamboo male sharks.“Then our light bulb went off — sharks bite to mate — did one of our young males mate with her?” Smith wrote.She said that the most recent ultrasound revealed that the stingray was pregnant with two, possibly three pups.She explained that their theory would need to be confirmed after the birth unless they first found any visual clues about a mixed breed.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/education-posts/sharks-rays-myths#:~:text=Stingrays%20and%20sharks%20are%20very,do%20with%20myth%20than%20fact.">Sharks and stingrays are closely related </a>taxonomically, so interbreeding is theoretically possible.The animal is due to give birth any day now, and Smith said that updates would be posted on their website and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/teamecco">Facebook page.</a>

A lone stingray mysteriously became pregnant in an aquarium. Scientists now think a male shark could be responsible.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Researchers said the 18-year-old crocodile who lived alone laid 14 eggs. </li><li>In a paper published Wednesday, researchers said one egg held a stillborn fetus. </li></ul>A crocodile at a zoo in Costa Rica made history with the first-ever virgin birth in the species, researchers say.<a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0129">In a paper published in the Biology Letters journal on Wednesday,</a> researchers said 14 eggs were found in an 18-year-old crocodile's enclosure in 2018.The crocodile lived alone at an exhibit at Parque Reptilandia in Costa Rica, so the only possible answer for the eggs is what's called facultative parthenogenesis, aka asexual reproduction where an animal becomes pregnant on its own without ever mating.Just like more traditional pregnancies, these so-called virgin births can come with complications. Researchers said only seven of the 14 eggs appeared to be fertile. None of them hatched, however, which the scientists said was "disappointing," <a href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/alligators-crocodiles/virgin-birth-recorded-in-crocodile-for-1st-time-ever">LiveScience</a> reported.Instead of welcoming baby crocs, the researchers opened up the eggs to study them more closely.One egg, in particular, contained "a fully formed non-viable fetus" that was stillborn, the researchers reported.DNA from the fetus and the 18-year-old crocodile matched, researchers said, adding that the fetus lacked paternal genes. In other words, this solidifies the researcher's virgin birth hypothesis. "The offspring was found to have identical genotypes to the mother at greater than 99.9% of her homozygous loci, demonstrating a lack of paternal alleles," the researchers said in the paper.Warren Booth, an entomologist at Virginia Tech University, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65834167">told The BBC</a> that virgin births are common in animals that descend from dinosaurs.''We see it in sharks, birds, snakes, and lizards, and it is remarkably common and widespread," he added.He told The BBC that there likely hadn't been a recorded virgin birth among crocodiles before this because most people weren't specifically looking for it."Your average reptile keeper doesn't keep a crocodile," Warren told The BBC.

A crocodile makes history with the first-ever virgin birth of its species, researchers say. But none of the 14 eggs hatched much to scientists' disappointment.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Scientists revived a 46,000-year-old worm that was living in Siberian permafrost. </li><li>When they brought it back to life, the worm started having babies. </li></ul>Scientists discovered a female microscopic roundworm that has been stuck deep in Siberian permafrost for 46,000 years, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2023/07/27/nematode-revived-siberian-permafrost/">the Washington Post reported</a>. When they revived it, the worm started having babies via a process called parthenogenesis, which doesn't require a mate. According to a <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/996694" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>, the worm spent thousands of years in a type of dormancy called cryptobiosis. In that state, which can last almost indefinitely, all metabolic processes pause, including "reproduction, development, and repair," per the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/exploringourfluidearth/biological/what-alive/properties-life/weird-science-cryptobiosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa</a>.<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1010798" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In a study published Thursday in the journal PLOS Genetics</a>, scientists reported that after sequencing the worm's genome, scientists said it belonged to an "undescribed species."Previously, Plectus murrayi and Tylenchus polyhypnus nematodes were resurrected from moss and herbarium specimens after a few dozen years, according to <a href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/arctic/nematode-resurrected-from-siberian-permafrost-laid-dormant-for-46000-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Live Science</a>. This new species, however, called Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, was dormant for tens of thousands of years longer.Deep sea biologist Holly Bik estimates there are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nematode-parasitic-worms-live-in-sand-beaches-microscope-images-2023-4">millions of nematode species</a> living in environments as diverse as ocean trenches, tundras, deserts, and volcanic soils. Scientists have only described 5,000 marine species so far.William Crow, a nematologist at the University of Florida who was not involved in the study, told the Post that this worm could belong to a species that has gone extinct in the last nearly 50,000 years. "However, it very well could be a commonly occurring nematode that no one got around to describing yet," Crow said. The fact that the worm survived all of those years is not a shock to scientists, who have known for years that microscopic organisms, like the worm studied here, can stop their biological functions to survive even the harshest conditions, according to the press release."Altogether, our findings demonstrate that nematodes evolved mechanisms potentially allowing them to suspend life over geological time scales," the PLOS Genetics paper said.

A 46,000-year-old worm found in Siberian permafrost was brought back to life, and started having babies

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Chicago-area zoo recently welcomed a new epaulette shark pup.</li><li>The sharks are known for "walking" and the large, round spots behind their pectoral fins. </li></ul>A new <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/shark-attacks-what-are-odds-of-getting-bitten-2018-7">shark</a> pup is always cause for celebration at the Brookfield Zoo, but the birth of an epaulette shark has zookeepers especially excited due to its unusual conception.The zoo, located just outside of Chicago, welcomed the pup on August 23 — but her mother had not been in contact with a male shark since 2019, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://czs.org/Epaulette-Shark-Hatches-at-Brookfield-Zoo">press release from the zoo</a>.Now, at about two months old, the pup is small, between five and six inches long, said the release.Epaulette sharks, which can reach up to 3 feet long at maturity, are easily identified by the large spots behind their pectoral fins.But they're also known for a strange reason — being able to "walk" using its fins both on land and in water.Using this skill, the sharks can survive harsher environments and move between tide pools to find more food and oxygenated water.The birth of the pup in Brookfield marks the second known asexual birth of an epaulette shark in an accredited zoo or aquarium, per the release. The first was born at the New England Aquarium.When sharks <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-say-they-have-induced-virgin-births-in-fruit-flies-2023-7">asexually reproduce</a>, the process is called automictic parthenogenesis.Sharks producing eggs usually make one egg and three "polar bodies," shark researcher Kevin Feldheim told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dw.com/en/baby-shark-asexual-reproduction/a-59055053">Deutsche Welle</a>, a German media outlet.While normally the female shark reabsorbs the polar bodies, sometimes one of them has the same amount of genetic material as the egg and fertilizes it.The process could be triggered by the lack of a male partner in sharks, but there is still a lot <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-sex-exists-2016-12">scientists don't understand about the process</a>."We don't know how common it is and the handful of cases we have seen have mostly taken place in an aquarium setting," Feldheim told DW.The pup at the zoo, housed in the Living Coast habitat, continues to thrive, per the release.Specialists at the zoo said they received help from their peers at the New England Aquarium, since pups produced parthenogenetically may be more delicate than others."We are happy to report that our epaulette pup has been eating well on her diet of finely chopped capelin, minced squid tentacles, and other finely chopped seafood," said lead animal care specialist Mike Masellis, per the release. "We are looking forward to guests being able to see the pup."

A shark pup that can 'walk' and was asexually conceived was just born at a Chicago-area zoo

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesEL PASO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 11: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the El Paso County Coliseum on February 11, 2019 in El Paso, Texas. Trump continues his campaign for a wall to be built along the border as the Democrats in Congress are asking for other border security measures.</div></div></div>Hello! Here's everything you need to know on Tuesday, February 12.1. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/elon-musk-starship-super-heavy-cost-ticket-mars-2019-2" title="Read more" data-analytics-label="Headline 1" data-tb-shadow-region-link="1" data-tb-shadow-region-title="0">SpaceX founder Elon Musk is 'confident' people could afford to 'sell their home on Earth.'</a> And then move to Mars on board a SpaceX rocket.2. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-differs-with-intelligence-community-on-iran-nuclear-deal-2019-2" data-analytics-position="2" data-analytics-module="big_picture">The White House has completely ignored the US intelligence community again.</a> This time, it's an ominous warning on a nuclearized Iran3. (BI Prime) <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-economy-impact-on-market-needs-more-stimulus-or-rally-premature-2019-2" data-analytics-position="3" data-analytics-module="big_picture">Credit Suisse wants to reel in happy feelings about the strength of Xi Jinping's control economy.</a> This is why canny investors must not jump the starting gun on a recovering Chinese economy.4. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insects-dying-off-sign-of-6th-mass-extinction-2019-2" data-analytics-position="13" data-analytics-module="featured_post">Now even the insects are dying at record rates. Some 40% of species are in decline, a new study concludes.</a> If this trend continues unabated, the Earth may not have any insects at all by 2119.5. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-national-guard-defies-trump-transgender-southern-border-policy-2019-2" data-analytics-position="4" data-analytics-module="featured_post">'This is our answer to the White House':</a> A defiant California and its militia, the largest National Guard in the US, is on a crash course with President Donald Trump over the southern border and transgender service members.6. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-acquiring-eero-router-2019-2" data-analytics-position="1" data-analytics-module="hero_tout">What does Jeff Bezos have to do with Wi-Fi router company Eero?</a> Amazon is all about acquiring the business which reportedly smothers an entire home with cut-through wireless internet.7. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-reportedly-chasing-a-sixth-gen-fighter-to-beat-the-us-2019-2" data-analytics-position="10" data-analytics-module="homepage-river">China might want to skip straight to a 6th-generation fighter jet.</a> China is locked in an intensifying arms race with the US, and it's not backing down, Chinese media warned Monday.8. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-approval-rating-by-state-map-january-2019-2019-2" data-analytics-position="8" data-analytics-module="homepage-river">The official approval ratings of the US President Donald Trump:</a> Here they are and this is how they've changed in every state in the two years he's been number 45.9. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/election-day-is-a-paid-holiday-in-sandusky-ohio-2019-2" data-analytics-position="10" data-analytics-module="featured_post">An Ohio city made Election Day a paid day off.</a> Technically, the city of Sandusky swapped it out with Columbus Day.10. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/poisonous-scorpions-infesting-brazils-biggest-cities-2019-2" data-analytics-position="11" data-analytics-module="homepage-river">Poisonous scorpions are invading Brazil's biggest cities and the infestation may be unstoppable.</a> The yellow scorpions proliferating in the city can reproduce through parthenogenesis - no male participation required.And finally ... <h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nyc-penthouse-432-park-ave-central-park-views-listing-photos-2018-10" data-analytics-position="13" data-analytics-module="featured_post">An $82 million penthouse in NYC's tallest residential building finally sold after 2 years on the market - but only after it was split in half and got a $21 million price chop</a></h3> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bud-light-dilly-dilly-viral-commercial-super-bowl-campaign-2017-12">Bud Light's 'Dilly Dilly' just made a comeback at the Super Bowl with a weird crossover ad with Game of Thrones - here's what the phrase means</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

The 10 most important things in the world right now

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A roundworm thawed from 46,000-year-old permafrost recently started having babies.</li><li>Scientists have previously revived ancient bacteria and prehistoric viruses that had been trapped.</li></ul>Scientists recently <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/forty-six-thousand-year-old-worm-found-siberian-permafrost-brought-back-to-life-2023-7">revived</a> a microscopic roundworm from 46,000-year-old Siberian permafrost that was so well preserved, it started having babies. But this isn't the first time "zombie" creatures in ice have been brought back from the dead. Scientists have a long record of resurrecting prehistoric viruses and ancient bacteria frozen in ice. However, as the climate crisis is melting ancient ice sheets worldwide, experts are growing concerned that prehistoric viruses could pose a risk to humanity. <h2>Prehistoric viruses in permafrost</h2><div type="image" title="Two men wearing winter gear look at an ice core in a mobile laboratory." height="1000" width="2000" msid="102284844" hostid="261" sizebytes="97170"></div>In March, French professor Jean-Michel Claverie found strains of 48,000-year-old frozen viruses in the Siberian permafrost. Permafrost is a layer of soil that's frozen all year round and covers about 15% of the planet. The virus, he found, was able to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-revived-frozen-zombie-virus-48000-years-infects-other-cells-2023-3">infect</a> single-cell organisms called amoebas.As Insider previously <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-revived-frozen-zombie-virus-48000-years-infects-other-cells-2023-3">reported</a>, the chance of it infecting animals and humans was unclear, but the researchers said at the time that permafrost viruses should be considered a public health threat.Other research has found 28 prehistoric viruses dating back <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/28-prehistoric-viruses-unknown-science-glacier-ice-guliya-2021-8">15,000 years</a> in frozen ice cores. Fifteen of these were unknown to science. The scientists said the findings could teach us about the effects of the climate crisis on viruses. "We know very little about viruses and microbes in these extreme environments," said Lonnie Thompson, an author of the study and scientist at the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, at the time."How do bacteria and viruses respond to climate change? What happens when we go from an ice age to a warm period like we're in now?" he said.<h2>Nematodes — 46,000 years old and 24,000 years old</h2>Nematodes are parasites that usually live inside a host. Recent reports have found that a roundworm, a type of nematode, started making babies after an estimated 46,000 years frozen in permafrost (nematodes reproduce by parthenogenesis, meaning they don't need a partner to spread). But it's not the first time this has been seen. Previous research has found a rotifer, another type of nematode, was uncovered from Siberian permafrost after an estimated <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/animal-revived-after-24000-years-in-ice-could-reproduce-2021-6#:~:text=Russian%20scientists%20have%20been%20able,seen%20in%20the%20video%20below.">24,000 years</a> caught in the ice. It was also able to reproduce, and happily ate when fed. <div type="image" title="rotifer" height="450" width="600" msid="102284846" hostid="261" sizebytes="8500"></div><h2>A bacteria that may have been 8 million years old </h2>Bacteria have also been pulled from ancient ice in the past — and in some cases, it's thought they were able to keep thriving after millions of years underground. Scientists <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12433-eight-million-year-old-bug-is-alive-and-growing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in the 2000s</a> found a bacterium in ice taken from Antarctica. The tiny bug, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7567650/#:~:text=Few%20pockets%20of%2034%2Dmillion,known%20living%20organisms%20on%20earth." target="_blank" rel="noopener">called Arthrobacter roseus</a>, was able to split and multiply in the lab, even though it was thought to have been taken from 8-million-year-old ice. <h2>We need to know more about ancient frozen bugs</h2>It's important to take the findings listed above with a pinch of salt.It's very difficult to keep samples pristine when extracting ancient ice, and even more difficult to conclusively date the ice. So it can be challenging to be certain that the bugs are not modern microbes dropped on the ice accidentally by the scientists themselves. Still, these findings are crucial as we're seeing more of the world's ice <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/melting-glaciers-ice-sheets-sea-level-rise-climate-disaster-2022-12">disappearing</a> in the changing climate, which could uncover more of these bugs frozen in time. It's not clear how the human body could react to these bugs, because we may never have encountered them. "You must remember our immune defense has been developed in close contact with microbiological surroundings," Birgitta Evengård, emeritus microbiology professor from the Umea University, told CNN, Insider previously reported."If there is a virus hidden in the permafrost that we have not been in contact with for thousands of years, it might be that our immune defense is not sufficient," she added.It's not just ancient bugs that have scientists worried. It's possible that bugs we've eradicated or kept under control could resurface from the melting ice. For instance, scientists were puzzled when one child died and 20 more got sick from <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8264129/#:~:text=The%20Yamal%20Peninsula%20in%20the,fatality%20rate%20of%2088.67%25)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">anthrax</a> in Russia in 2016, although there hadn't been an outbreak in 70 years. They <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8463397/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believe</a> this was caused by a bug that was lurking in permafrost and that had been released in a heat wave.

Scientists have revived 'zombie' bugs and viruses before that were trapped in ancient ice. One may have been 8 million years old.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>James Weiss recently captured one of the first known recordings of a tardigrade threesome.</li><li>The videographer also caught pairs of tardigrades mating for up to two hours at a time.</li></ul>Tardigrades are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5705745/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">microscopic creatures</a> with a gift for survival. These aquatic invertebrates — aka water bears or moss piglets — can withstand exposure to high levels of radiation, the crushing pressure of the <a href="https://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/tardigrade/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deep sea</a>, and even the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Research/Tiny_animals_survive_exposure_to_space" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vacuum of space</a>. We've also learned water bears have some pretty wild sex, thanks to recent video footage from scientist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jam_and_germs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Weiss</a>, the videographer for the YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@journeytomicro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Journey to the Microcosmos</a> and author of "<a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-57742-20&amp;h=b24c6e3038e85e061fac521710790fe79025c701e1074f6a4489c4de856e7598&amp;postID=64382a06186a0b368622e277&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHidden-Beauty-Microscopic-World-existence-ebook%2Fdp%2FB08D8JNYCW" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hidden Beauty of the Microscopic World</a>."<div type="image" title="A male tardigrade on the back of a female tardigrade during intercourse." height="480" width="861" msid="99492769" hostid="261" sizebytes="32708"></div>Weiss, who is an <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-weiss-1386351" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expert on using microscopes</a> to study microbes in ponds, lakes, rivers, and seas, created sealed environments on slides to observe the same water bears for weeks. That's how he captured footage of tardigrades mating for up to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVWwi_lKR8E/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two hours at a time</a>.He also recorded a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PP4kR9zCtc&amp;t=654s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">30-minute tardigrade threesome</a> — one of the first known recordings of tardigrade group sex. <div type="image" title="Page of a 1914 textbook documenting the first case of tardigrade group sex." height="512" width="384" msid="99492770" hostid="261" sizebytes="29836"></div><h2>A water bear threesome</h2>Researchers first published details of tardigrade mating behavior in a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/zoj.12435" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2016 paper</a>, but other observations of water bear sex remains fairly limited. "There weren't many people studying tardigrades until very recently, so all these observations are coming from a couple of renowned tardigradologists," Weiss said. (Yes, "tardigradologist" is a real word, he added.) "I don't study tardigrades in a traditional, institutional way, but since I've been interested in them for a long time, I've gathered a lot of data and observed unique behaviors," Weiss said. One of those unique behaviors? A water bear threesome. While observing tardigrades on his slides, Weiss first noticed two smaller tardigrades who seemed drawn to a larger tardigrade's underbelly. This was unusual, since typically, tardigrades don't show such a focused interest on anything. But even after 20 minutes, the two smaller tardigrades kept prodding the larger one with their mouths. Weiss, who isn't a tardigrade expert but has seen enough of them in his studies of microscopic creatures, noticed that the larger tardigrade looked like it was carrying unfertilized eggs. <div type="image" title="Rare footage of a tardigrade threesome." height="1080" width="1920" msid="99492771" hostid="261" sizebytes="96004"></div>He said that the two smaller tardigrades were males "shooting their shot" in an effort to fertilize the female's eggs.As Weiss watched, he said the two males continued jabbing the female as she pooped, which Weiss suggested could be a way to attract males. <div type="image" title="Microscopic image of a pregnant female tardigrade carrying fertilized eggs." height="720" width="1280" msid="99492772" hostid="261" sizebytes="68410"></div>Weiss added, though, that experts' limited understanding of tardigrade sex makes it impossible to be sure exactly why she defecated. "In water, everything is about chemical cues, so males have to gather some information to find females," Weiss said. To test this, Weiss separated some mating couples by gently poking them with some cat hair through the microscope slide and coverslip. In each instance the males returned to the females within just a couple of minutes. <div type="image" title="Three tardigrades having sex right after the female has pooped." height="1080" width="1920" msid="99492773" hostid="261" sizebytes="105582"></div>"So I believe there's some chemical signaling happening, and well, pooping releases a lot of signals into the water," Weiss said. After about 30 minutes in all, the threesome became a twosome when one male departed the scene. The remaining male stuck with the female for an additional hour, and Weiss observed similar mating behavior with other tardigrade couples on the slide.<h2>Water bear reproduction</h2><div type="image" title="Female tardigrade's oocytes circled in red in this microscopic image." height="288" width="512" msid="99492775" hostid="261" sizebytes="6772"></div>Males are attracted to females with unfertilized eggs, or oocytes. In his book, Weiss observed that males always seem to do the pursuing. "While females calmly grazed on algae, males were running around like crazy chickens and hopping on females' backs and staying there for an hour and a half," he wrote. <div type="image" title="A male and female tardigrade having sex." height="720" width="1280" msid="99492776" hostid="261" sizebytes="17590"></div>Once the males find a female, they cling to her with their claws and the partners make a wild rhythmic motion until eventually the male finishes, releasing thousands of sperms that likely fertilize the eggs by entering an opening in the female's exoskeleton. But scientists have yet to discover exactly how fertilization happens. <div type="image" title="Tardigrade sperms sacks circled in red." height="288" width="512" msid="99492778" hostid="261" sizebytes="17492"></div>Not all water bears need to have sex to reproduce. Weiss said <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07924259.2021.1990142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some species of tardigrades only include females, </a>who reproduce asexually via parthenogenesis. He also said it's possible that tardigrades may switch reproduction methods when under environmental stress, though experts still have a lot more to learn about this theory. But marine species of water bears, like the species Weiss recorded, include both males and females, and they reproduce by mating.<div type="image" title="A male tardigrade testis circled in red." height="288" width="512" msid="99492779" hostid="261" sizebytes="10518"></div><h2>Water bear birth</h2>A water bear mother might carry 20 or so eggs until the eggs start hatching one by one — popping like popcorn, Weiss said. <div type="image" title="A pregnant water bear with fertilized eggs circled in red." height="1080" width="1920" msid="99492782" hostid="261" sizebytes="136206"></div>"It's easy to distinguish a newborn tardigrade because they have empty bellies. Just after a week, they're ready to reproduce, so it's safe to say the babies have babies in two weeks after hatching," Weiss said. <div type="image" title="Tardigrade eggs hatching." height="480" width="854" msid="99492786" hostid="261" sizebytes="16398"></div>Water bears have fairly short lives, with 8 weeks being the longest lifespan Weiss has observed in his research. Watch the tardigrade threesome in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PP4kR9zCtc&amp;t=654s&amp;ab_channel=JourneytotheMicrocosmos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the below video</a>, starting around timestamp 13:25.

You Searched For "parthenogenesis" and got 11 results

Scientists say they have induced 'virgin births' in fruit flies for the first time by switching on the right genes

Marta Biino

A baby shark born in all-female tank could be a rare case of a 'virgin birth'

Alia Shoaib

Virgin births really happen - here are the animals that prove it

Lydia Ramsey

A surprising number of animals can reproduce without sex

Lydia Ramsey

A lone stingray mysteriously became pregnant in an aquarium. Scientists now think a male shark could be responsible.

Alia Shoaib

A crocodile makes history with the first-ever virgin birth of its species, researchers say. But none of the 14 eggs hatched much to scientists' disappointment.

Kelly McLaughlin

A 46,000-year-old worm found in Siberian permafrost was brought back to life, and started having babies

Rebecca Cohen,Jenny McGrath

A shark pup that can 'walk' and was asexually conceived was just born at a Chicago-area zoo

Sebastian Cahill

The 10 most important things in the world right now

Christian Edwards,Christian E…

Scientists have revived 'zombie' bugs and viruses before that were trapped in ancient ice. One may have been 8 million years old.

Marianne Guenot

Rare video footage of a tardigrade threesome that lasted 30 minutes documents the wild sex lives of water bears

Crystal Raypole

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides