Researchers have uncovered how an ancient insect species survived until today without ever having sexual intercourse.
The ‘ancient asexual’ beetle, scientifically named ‘Oppiella nova’ and composed entirely of females, is actually a species of mite. Scientists; Until more recently, he assumed that this ancient insect species, which he had been trying to figure out for years how they could reproduce and survive without sexual intercourse, occasionally accidentally produced a male. However, thanks to the latest work, the missing piece of the puzzle has been put in place. It seems that Oppiella nova is able to create clones of its own.
Thanks to the Meselson effect, he can clone himself.
Research; It revealed that Oppiella nova can create genetically diverse versions of itself through a process called the “Meselson effect.” Thanks to this cloning process, it was ensured that the insect created different copies of its genetic information with separate mutations. This is the first study that scientists have observed and studied the Meselson effect.
Tanja Schwander, co-author of the study; “This may sound simple. But in practice, the Meselson effect has never been conclusively demonstrated in animals – until now,” he said in a press release.
Although incredibly rare, some creatures can survive in nature without sexual reproduction. Just last year, researchers discovered a huge UFO-like sea creature made up of millions of clones.
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