A shark is born, and it's a miracle (of sorts)...

A female shark swims alone in a tank for nearly four years. Suddenly, the shark gives birth. A miracle? No, it's a rare case of parthenogenesis.

A white-spotted female bamboo shark slowly circles a tank in the marine center at Carl Hayden Community High School in Phoenix. Four years alone in a tank suggests a continued solitary existence. Imagine the surprise when Twilight gives birth to Dawn! The schools resident shark, named Twilight, delivered a shark pup that the students promptly named Dawn.

The shark birth sent the teacher and students into research mode. This rare form of reproduction is called parthenogenesis. How rare? I only found a couple of references, and it seems like there have only been a hand full of these virgin births recorded. Parthenogenesis is the name given to the reproduction process where a females egg, not fertilized by a male, goes through a process of cell division, and then the mother's egg fuses with a degenerative cell from the female, and produces a new individual.

The unique birth process has occurred in tanks holding only female sharks. But not only mother sharks have the power. The Komodo Dragon can do it; but then I wouldn't put anything past a dragon. Some species of frogs and lizards do it. Aphids do it, and we certainly don't need any more aphids.

I don't know about you other guys, but I'm thinking if women hear about this we may be in big trouble.

I first heard about Dawn in a September 18, 2007 article by Betty Reid in the Arizona Republic.

The photo is by John Severson.

Fredi Lajvardi is program manager for the Carl Hayden Center for Marine Science.