How did a baby shark hatch without a male around? Louisiana aquarium investigates

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Virgin birth? Baby shark hatches in Louisiana aquarium without male

A Louisiana aquarium announced that a baby shark hatched despite no male sharks being in the tank for three years. (Credit: Shreveport Aquarium via Storyful)

A Louisiana Aquarium is trying to figure out how a baby shark was hatched despite having no male sharks in the tank for three years. 

What we know:

The Shreveport Aquarium released footage on January 24 that showed the aquarium’s husbandry team helping the infant swell shark hatch from its egg that happened earlier in the month. 

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Two female sharks in the bank had not been in contact with a male shark in three years, the aquarium said. 

What we don't know:

They believe the phenomenon happened either due to delayed fertilization or because of a rare form of asexual reproduction called parthenogenesis.

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Team members said they would have to wait a few months to take a blood sample from the newborn shark to determine exactly what happened. 

What they're saying:

"This situation is incredible and shows the resilience of this species," Greg Barrick, the Curator of Live Animals at Shreveport Aquarium told Storyful. "It really proves that life … uh … finds a way."

The Source: Storyful contributed to this report. The information in this story came from a release by the Shreveport Aquarium, which shared footage on January 24 showing the baby shark's hatching. This story was reported from Los Angeles. 

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