Getting the job done. A female Asian water dragon (Physignathus cocincinus) produced a daughter (left) without the assistance of a male. Skip Brown/Smithsonian’s National Zoo An Asian water dragon ...

Flacco: Today I'd like to discuss parthenogenesis. Many creatures are parthenogenetic. That is, they have no need to be fertilised. The common aphid, for example, is a parthenogenetic miracle. All ...

Parthenogenesis means “virgin birth” or the production of offspring by one parent (a female) without genetic input from a male: the female’s egg is not fertilized by sperm. Thus, the offspring have ...

Aphids could be considered the "mosquitoes" of the plant world, depending on the "blood" of plants to survive. They live in symbiosis with bacteria that pass from one generation to the next, producing ...

For most animals, sex is an egg-meets-sperm affair that requires both a male and a female. Aptly, this is called sexual reproduction. However, some species have the remarkable ability to reproduce ...

Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writers. CNN is showcasing the work of The Conversation, a collaboration between journalists and academics to provide news ...

Some female animals can reproduce without males through a process called parthenogenesis. Here are a few examples. Aphids: These tiny insects use parthenogenesis to produce live offspring quickly, ...

The television series Orphan Black gets closer to the reality. It features clones with distinct personalities shaped by their life stories, who are no more evil than any of the other characters. But ...

As we get our gardens ready for the autumn months with some cleanup pruning, chances are high that we will uncover critters that have been taking refuge in overgrown foliage. Such is the case with a ...

An Asian water dragon hatched from an egg at the Smithsonian National Zoo, and her keepers were shocked. Why? Her mother had never been with a male water dragon. Through genetic testing, zoo ...

Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writers. CNN is showcasing the work of The Conversation, a collaboration between journalists and academics to provide news ...