The Leiolepis ngovantrii . It is a species that has the ability to reproduce by parthenogenesis, so that it does not need to mate since the same lizard can give rise to a new one that is genetically identical to it.
Summary
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- 1 Discovery
- 2 habitat
- 3 Playback
- 1 Partenogenesis
- 4 Other features
- 5 Sources
Discovery
The Leiolepis ngovantrii lizard was discovered in Vietnam in 2010 by members of the Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology and with the help of a herpetology student, it happened in one of the restaurants that serve them as food, when they were observed alive , the curiosity that all the specimens were identical could be generated and they decided to undertake an investigation that has provided what is known about the self- cloning of this amazing lizard.
habitat
This species is known only from the type locality in Binh Chau – Phuoc Buu Nature Reserve , Xuyen Moc District, Ba Ria Vung Tau Province , Vietnam. It inhabits among the coastal dunes and thickets.
Reproduction
This species has the ability to reproduce by parthenogenesis, so it does not need to mate since the same lizard can give rise to a new one genetically identical to it. In this species there are only females since their reproduction is a form of reproduction based on the development of unfertilized female sex cells. This implies that each of these females creates exactly the same females, so there is no genetic variation and little flexibility in the natural selection process.
The partenogenesis
Determining how parthenogenesis appeared in living beings is quite a challenge, but scientific research is slowly unraveling this mystery. According to the most formulated hypothesis by science, the main responsible for this reproduction mechanism is a bacterium called Wolbachia , belonging to the Rickettsiales order. This microscopic organism has the ability to enter the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of animals and modify it. These modifications would give rise to genes capable of monitoring the autocloning process.
Other features
Another characteristic of this animal is that it has nine rows of enlarged keeled scales across the forearm and 37-40 lamellae below the fourth toe. Some researchers believe that it is more prone to extinction due to its reduced genetic variation from one generation to the next. It is known that they grow up to 12 cm and that their color allows them to camouflage themselves in the habitat of this animal. Their ability to genetically adapt to environmental changes is very limited. Your only way to get variability is mutations. The lizards are most active during the sunny morning hours and retreat to burrows during the warmer periods of the afternoon. Leiolepis ngovantrii builds complex, interconnected and very deep tunnels
