Immaculate Conception In a Boa Constrictor 478
crudmonkey writes "Researchers have discovered a biological shocker: female boa constrictors are capable of giving birth asexually. But the surprise doesn't end there. The study in Biology Letters found that boa babies produced through this asexual reproduction — also known as parthenogenesis — sport a chromosomal oddity that researchers thought was impossible in reptiles. While researchers admit that the female in the study may have been a genetic freak, they say the findings should press researchers to re-think reptile reproduction. Virgin birth among reptiles, especially primitive ones like boas, they argue may be far commoner than ever expected."
Wow (Score:5, Funny)
Firssst posss.... (Score:3, Funny)
Pedantic nit... (Score:5, Funny)
Asexual reproduction isn't the same as virgin birth.
For all we know, that snake is a slut.
That is so cool. (Score:4, Funny)
Holy.. (Score:1, Funny)
Raptor jesus..
No no no. Mary was conceived without original sin (Score:1, Funny)
Jesus was born of a virgin.
What could be simpler to understand? For crying out loud people! This is GOD we're talking about!
I, for once,... (Score:2, Funny)
welcome our new immaculate boa overlords (or shall I say overladys?).
Male Audience... (Score:2, Funny)
commoner (Score:3, Funny)
"Commoner"?! - You mean "more common". I guess you'll tell me that 'commoner' sounds betterer....
Re:Immaculate Conception? (Score:3, Funny)
I thought that referred to Jesus being born without sin rather than to Mary being a virgin.
Which is quite ironic given the part the snake plays in the garden of eden...
Life as a Caste of Societies. (Score:1, Funny)
This prooves that like Komodo Dragons, conceiving child with or without complements of other supplementing Hosts, would prove all Life is a redundant Caste System.
If only a Female is available and no male around, then becomes a woman to conceive a male embryo without foetus stage. ... that's why we have Slashdot.
If a Female and Male are around, then becomes a woman for the male to deposit and complement to an foetus
If only a Male is available and no female around,
Re:Poor little snake (Score:4, Funny)
> Last time this sort of thing happened, I remember it didn't end
> well for the fellow. What was his name?
I'm not really up on Christian doctrine, but from reading the rest of this discussion, I believe you are referring to Raptor Jesus.
Re:Wow (Score:5, Funny)
More interesting than the article is that I now know there is such a thing as a serpentarium. Everywhere I've lived, and in all the movies I've watched, they've just been called 'reptile zoo' or something similar.
I imagine people go into a serpentarium and the lights are low. Everyone sits down, reclines their seat back and stares upward. Then the lights come up to reveal thousands of serpents suspended from the ceiling, writhing around. People ooh and aah.
Sounds awesome.
Re:Jurassic Park (Score:2, Funny)
What occurred in Jurassic Park was a stress-induced gender change due to a lack of males in the area - creating males out of adult females.
That must have shocked the hell out of the lesbian raptor coven. Maybe that's why they were so pissed throughout the whole movie.
Re:Immaculate Conception? (Score:1, Funny)
"Then again, since snakes don't have original sin..."
Mmmm, I recall a snake being instrumental in creating the fucking original sin in the first place.
Re:Wow (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Immaculate Conception? (Score:3, Funny)
You mean the whole "Go Forth and Multiply" line?
I don't think he specified Asexually or not, or who knows, maybe he just wanted us to work on our Mad Minute Math skills.
Re:Immaculate Conception doesn't mean virgin birth (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wow (Score:3, Funny)
I imagine people go into a serpentarium and the lights are low. Everyone sits down, reclines their seat back and stares upward. Then the lights come up to reveal thousands of serpents suspended from the ceiling, writhing around. People ooh and aah.
And the guy sitting under the spitting cobra just screams a lot.
Re:Immaculate Conception doesn't mean virgin birth (Score:1, Funny)
... and don't forget the Immaculate REception: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immaculate_reception
This, too, is often mistaken - most notably by those who attended my wedding. ;)