Of mice, and not men

摘要

The natural world, in all its squishy glory and diversity, is home to some remarkable stories of survival and existence. Out there, in the wild, it is not unusual for plants and animals to reproduce without the need for fertilisation by males. Animals such as fleas, lizards, salamanders and fish can achieve what is called "parthenogenesis", or virgin birth. For many plants and animals this is a useful strategy. But until now scientists had thought such a thing was impossible in mammals. Fathers remained a necessity. Now Tomohiro Kono at Tokyo University and colleagues report in the journal Nature that they have made live mice by parthenogenesis. Their mice developed into adulthood, and the first pup called "Kaguya" went on to reproduce normally.