Every December, Christians globally commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ born from Mary who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. Her pregnancy was dubbed an immaculate conception due to this. In the animal kingdom, the occurrence of virgin births has been observed in some animals, like pythons, turkeys, and crocodiles.
Recently, Science Times reported a virgin birth case of a female crocodile who has given birth despite living alone. Given this unique phenomenon, some people wonder whether this could be possible as well in humans.
Here's What An Expert Said About Virgin Births in Humans
To explore the implications for men, MailOnline interviewed an expert to determine if the phenomenon of virgin births marks a significant change.
Virgin births, also known as facultative parthenogenesis, occur when certain animals can produce offspring without mating, although scientists are still uncertain about the exact factors that enable this.
Professor Russell Bonduriansky from the University of South Wales told MailOnline that the ability for virgin births to occur varies among different species. While the specific requirements are not fully understood, it is known that half of the chromosomes typically come from the mother and half from the father in most animals, including humans.
For a viable embryo to form without sperm in humans, the egg would need to replicate its chromosomes and undergo a process similar to fertilization, which is usually facilitated by sperm. However, the chances of this happening are incredibly slim, estimated at perhaps one in a billion, making it highly improbable.
Professor Bonduriansky suggests that this inability for virgin births in humans could be a protective mechanism, preventing embryos from developing inside the ovaries, which could be detrimental to female mammals. Although artificial cloning has been achieved in certain mammals like Dolly the sheep, the ethical complexities surrounding human cloning remain significant.
Bizarre Virgin Birth-Like Cases in Humans
In 1995, New Scientist reported an unusual case that drew attention when a young boy was believed to have been partially derived from an unfertilized egg, resulting in an abnormal number of chromosomes that typically indicate a female composition. However, Professor Bonduriansky clarifies that this case does not represent a genuine instance of a virgin birth.
The boy was instead an extremely rare example of a genetic mosaic, where different body parts possess different genetic characteristics due to developmental accidents or the fusion of two embryos in the womb. While some of his cells lacked paternal genes, others contained both maternal and paternal genes, making him distinct from a true virgin birth.
The British Medical Journal has also documented approximately 45 peculiar "virgin pregnancies" in the United States since the mid-90s. Although the women did not explicitly claim to have experienced virgin births, they reported similar attributes. These findings emerged from a survey that explored vaginal intercourse and sexual history.
Professor Amy Herring from the Gillings School of Global Public Health in North Carolina explains in a news release that they were not initially investigating virgin births but stumbled upon these cases while analyzing data for a separate project on adult virginity.
The researchers were surprised to find that some individuals who claimed to be virgins also reported pregnancies. However, it should be noted that these results were not medically verified, which raises the possibility of respondent biases.
The existence of genuine virgin births in humans remains highly improbable, given the intricate biological processes involved in conception and embryo development. While rare cases and anecdotal reports may arise, they are often attributed to unusual genetic or developmental circumstances rather than true parthenogenesis.
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Check out more news and information on Parthenogenesis in Science Times.
