What reproductive strategy defines the *Aspidoscelis* whiptail lizards?

Answer

All-female, asexual reproduction

The whiptail lizards belonging to the genus *Aspidoscelis* are notable in biology because they overwhelmingly utilize an all-female, asexual reproductive mode, a phenomenon known as parthenogenesis. This is a significant departure from the standard vertebrate reproductive strategy which relies on sexual reproduction involving the union of male and female gametes. In this asexual context, the females develop embryos from unfertilized eggs. While sexual ancestors existed, the widespread adoption of this clonal strategy allows these lineages to persist for millions of years despite abandoning the genetic shuffling benefits inherent to sex. The reproductive system effectively bypasses the need for fertilization entirely to generate viable female offspring.

What reproductive strategy defines the *Aspidoscelis* whiptail lizards?

Related Questions

What reproductive strategy defines the *Aspidoscelis* whiptail lizards?What process founded the parthenogenetic lineages of *Aspidoscelis*?What specific mechanism of parthenogenesis is employed by many *Aspidoscelis* species?What structural change results from the cessation of recombination in asexual *Aspidoscelis*?How is the diversification of asexual *Aspidoscelis* lineages typically represented phylogenetically?What ploidy state characterizes the asexual species *Aspidoscelis neomexicanus*?What behavior might asexual *Aspidoscelis* females engage in to stimulate ovulation?What genomic feature may compensate for the lack of recombination in long-term surviving *Aspidoscelis* asexual lineages?From which genus did the genus *Aspidoscelis* originate via splitting?What is the key demographic advantage of asexuality in low-density *Aspidoscelis* populations?What function is suggested for the allopolyploidy events following hybridization in *Aspidoscelis*?
evolutionreptilespeciationlizard