Chinese scientists have decoded the genome of the flowerpot snake, the world's only all-female snake species. This tiny, 20-centimeter snake reproduces without males, thanks to a unique triploid genome and powerful DNA repair mechanisms. The discovery challenges long-held beliefs about asexual reproduction and evolution. (CGTN)
A research team led by Prof. LI Jiatang from the Chengdu Institute of Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has assembled a high-quality, chromosome-level genome and partitioned it into three distinct subgenomes. This study reveals the unique triploid parthenogenetic reproductive mechanism of the flowerpot snake and sheds new light on the evolution of polyploidy in vertebrates.
A team from the Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences has decoded the DNA of the flowerpot snake that reproduces without males, uncovering the genomic mechanisms behind their all-female reproduction. This study challenges traditional views that asexual reproduction inevitably leads to an evolutionary dead end.
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