--- Beverly Erlebacher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >
> Do the sexual and parthenogenetic populations exist
> in the same area?
> Will the parthenogenetic females breed (successfully
> or otherwise)
> with males from the sexual populations?
>
I was collecting both sexuals and parthenogens from
under the same pieces of tin at one of my study sites
in Alice Springs. Also at the same site was a soon (I
hope) to be described cryptic sexual species within
Heteronotia binoei.
There have been a couple of studies done looking at
the morphology of the repro. tract of sexuals and
parthenogens. Some of the parths had been fooling
around with the boys (sperm in the repro tract), but
the percent was not very large. I think there have
been found one or two tetraploid geckos, but the
verdict was that they were not viable for breeding.
Other studies on a parthenogenetic teiid have found
tetraploid males, but again the gonads were too small
to be considered viable.
> It's critters like these that challenge our notions
> of what a species
> really is!
>
Yeah! it all gets a bit fuzzy around the edges.
=====
Alexa Ryhorchuk
Department of Zoology
University of Melbourne
Melbourne, Victoria
Australia 3010
Ph: +61 3 8344 6244 Fax: +61 3 8344 7909
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
_____________________________________________________________________________
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