It was discovered that a crocodile had given birth to the first known "virgin" baby.
Analysis revealed that the mother crocodile's crocodile fetus was 99.9% genetically similar to her and had never been among male crocodiles because she was kept in isolation.
The first known incidence of a "virgin birth" in the crocodile species occurred in Costa Rica, where a crocodile got pregnant on her own.
The crocodile was housed in a zoo and was not allowed to interact with males, but one of her eggs contained a completely developed baby.
Genetic testing showed the fetus to be 99.9% identical to its mother, proving there was no father.
Parthenogenesis, or virgin births, have been observed in fish, lizards, snakes, and birds, but not in crocodiles.
When the crocodile in question laid a clutch of eggs in 2018, she was 18 years old.
Seven eggs that seemed to be viable were incubated, but after three months, no eggs had hatched, so they were opened. One of them had a crocodile fetus that was stillborn.
The fetus was examined by Virginia Tech parthenogenesis experts, and the results of their analysis were published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.
They claimed the finding shows that crocodiles may be giving birth to virgins covertly.
Given the time spent apart from their mates, captive reptiles frequently produce clutches of eggs. Normally, these would be deemed non-viable and thrown away.
These results imply that when males are not present, eggs should be examined for potential viability.
Furthermore, when reproduction occurs in females who cohabitate with males, cases of (virgin births) may be missed since they can occur in the midst of possible mates.
The discovery, according to the experts, provides "tantalizing insights" on the potential reproductive capacity of prehistoric crocodile relatives, particularly dinosaurs.
The first known instance of a crocodile getting pregnant occurred in Costa Rica.