Clonal reproduction in reptiles

Abstract

Clonal reproduction is present in different groups of animals and is common in invertebrates such as rotifers, nematodes and arthropods. Among vertebrates, this kind of reproduction is rare, but have been identified approximately 100 unisexual (all-females) species that are distributed in several groups of fish, amphibians and reptiles. Within reptiles, clonal reproduction is restricted to some species of squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes). The type of clonal reproduction exhibited by reptiles is called parthenogenesis, which is characterized because the female's eggs develop in the absence of sperm (without fertilization), in individuals genetically identical to the mother. Within animals, unisexual lineages have been originated through different mechanisms, but only two of them appear to be involved in the formation of vertebrates with clonal reproduction. From 40 species of lizard known to date, one of them originated spontaneously from a female of the species Lepidophyma flavimaculatum, the remaining species originated through hybridization among individuals from different species. These lizards inhabit in places that are hostile to the parental species, they are common in caves, beaches, rotting logs, and ant and termite nests. In Mexico, there are 10 clonal species of reptiles, which are part of the genus Aspidoscelis and are distributed in the north and southeast of the country.