Virgin birth mystery: Baby shark born in all-female tank stuns experts

Marine experts are baffled after a baby shark was born in an all-female tank at the Shreveport Aquarium in Louisiana. The baby shark, named Yoko, was born without any male sharks in the tank for over three years, leading to questions about how it happened.

The Shreveport Aquarium shared a video of the birth, saying, "We’re thrilled to announce the hatching of a new swell shark pup—without a male present!" The two female sharks in the tank had not been near a male shark for a long time, yet one of them gave birth.

Experts believe this could be a case of parthenogenesis, a rare form of asexual reproduction where a female can produce offspring without a male, or delayed fertilisation, where the fertilisation happens much later than the mating.

Greg Barrick, the aquarium’s curator of live animals, said, "This situation is incredible and shows the resilience of this species. We are excited to confirm whether this was parthenogenesis or delayed fertilisation."

To find out for sure, DNA testing will be done on Yoko soon. For now, the baby shark is doing well and is being closely watched by the team.

The name "Yoko" comes from the Chumash Native American word for shark, "onyoko." People online have been excited about the birth, with many commenting on how cute and amazing it is.

“This is amazing! Can’t wait to learn more about how this happened,” one person wrote, while another added, “Yoko is everyone’s new favourite shark!”

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