Birds, bees, and even kleptogenic salamanders do it. No, it's not love, although that may be part of it. It's simply reproduction. And while we humans are most familiar with the process of one man and one woman exchanging some genetic material to form a child, not every living creature under the sun enjoys reproducing in the same way. Some continue their genetic line in almost unbelievable ways.
10. Kleptogenesis involves the theft of genetic material 
Kleptogenesis doesn't involve stealing a game system from the early '90s, but it's potentially just as cool. One species of salamander exists exclusively as females, so when it comes time to reproduce, they have to be a little more creative than your average binary species. In the case of these little amphibians, the solution to their single-gender conundrum comes in the form of thefts . They steal sperm from males of other species of the same genus and decide for themselves how to use it. If this sounds confusing, that's because it is, but it's been going on for millions of years, so let's just assume they know what they're doing.
Male salamanders release sperm packets, which then fertilize the females' eggs. This usually results in the expected reproduction: a salamander hatchling is 50% from each parent. But for this species, this is not the case.
Females, and in this species there are only females, can collect several sperm packets and then apparently have the ability to sort the genes they want to use. As a result, some of these salamanders have in their cells to five different genomes .
Mothers can discard any genetic material they don't need from males and pass on as many diverse genomes as they desire to their offspring. Some have been identified from species from which salamanders aren't even descended.
So, how does a salamander choose which genes to pass on? It's a good question. Scientists are still trying to figure it out.
9. Gynogenesis uses sperm, but not genetic material.
This method is somewhat similar to kleptogenesis, but more rigorous. Essentially, animals that reproduce via gynogenesis require sperm to initiate the reproductive process, but not to complete it. Thus, the sperm must reach the egg and initiate fertilization, but then the sperm and its genetic material are discarded, and the offspring consists solely of the mother's brings on the table . unlocks the door to their apartment, but then she closes it in his face and spends the night alone.
The main thing to remember about gynogenesis and about what makes him different The difference between something like asexual reproduction and parthenogenesis, where only one parent is needed, is that gynogenesis requires the male's participation, not his genetics.
8. Hybridogenesis occurs when half of the genetics of the hybrid's parents are combined with the genetics of the other parent.
The term "« sexual parasitism »"It doesn't sound exactly pleasant, but that's how you can describe hybridogenesis, an extremely rare form of reproduction that can only occur with an existing genetic hybrid. The mother has two different genetics, one from species A and one from species B. When it comes time to reproduce, she will produce a gamete that can be genetically entirely A or B, not a combination. This means that when the egg is fertilized, it will be 50% male, and then 50% only one half of the female genetics, meaning that one genome will be completely eliminated during reproduction.
Consider something like a mule. It's a hybrid of a donkey and a horse. If a female mule were to mate with a horse, the mule's gamete would be 100% equine, not donkey. Therefore, when the male fertilizes the egg, the offspring would be 100% equine, with no donkey genetics at all.
This type of reproduction is typically found in certain species of frogs and some fish, as something like a mule is usually sterile. However, several mules have been bred over the years, and some of their offspring appear to be genetically fully developed horses.
7. Sporogenesis is the production of spores for reproduction.
Have you ever wondered how mushrooms reproduce? Well, wonder no more, because many types of mushrooms take part in sporogenesis . These and some other plant and algal species produce reproductive spores that can remain dormant for a very long time. This is primarily a way for the species to survive unfavorable conditions. So, for example, if there were a drought, the fungus could create these spores, and they could remain dormant until the drought conditions passed, at which point they could begin to grow.
Under normal conditions, the fungus can reproduce sexually, but if necessary, it can also release spores, genetically identical parental. This can continue until traditional reproduction becomes possible again.
6. Parthenogenesis occurs when an unfertilized egg produces offspring.
Parthenogenesis is a somewhat unusual method of reproduction in which an animal that normally reproduces sexually is able to produce an egg that is not fertilized but still produces offspring, in this case genetically identical to the parent. It is the preferred method of reproduction in marine mammals. tardigrades , and some much more complex organisms also sometimes reproduce this way. In one case, a female shark that had not had contact with males for years gave birth. cub , who was a clone of the mother.
Various species of arachnids can reproduce by parthenogenesis, but it has also been noted in reptiles, amphibians, and birds.
5. Fragmentation is when a severed part of the body can continue to grow.
As far as macabre reproduction methods go, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything that beats fragmentation. It's the kind of thing you see in horror movies. Simply put, it occurs when an organism is damaged so severely that it loses a part of itself. However, this new piece doesn't simply wither and die, like your arm would if it were accidentally chopped off. Instead, it grows back into a completely new organism .
The offspring fragment will be a clone of the parent, so that when this is done there will be two identical organisms, even though there was nothing close to gender in the formation of the second organism.
Fragmentation may be a natural form of reproduction, but it's just as likely to occur when a limb is severed in an accident. Fortunately for those who find this disturbing, few creatures are capable of this. Specifically, this is precisely what some starfish are capable of reproducing, but there are other species, such as earthworms, that can also do this.
4. Budding occurs when a species produces a new clone that is pinched off from the parent.
Budding sounds pretty harmless and doesn't sound like a method of reproduction at all, but it is the name of the process that organisms such as hydras, jellyfish and yeast, when the time comes to make a new turn in life.
The name refers to the fact that the parent organism will develop something resembling a true bud, like the one you might see on a plant. The bud begins to form an exact replica of the parent organism until it becomes complete enough to separate completely from the parent and exist as a separate life form. The parent is left with a scar where the embryo separated and became something new.
The new organism will be genetically identical to the parent, but it will also be smaller because it is still growing. Unlike something like binary fission, which we'll see shortly, this process can be achieved in more complex multicellular organisms. In some ways, it's similar to what you might think of as a typical pregnancy, but it's asexual, and the offspring develops not within the parent, but on top of it, until it's mature enough to leave.
In species such as Hydra, buds are formed on at a certain junction between the stem and the gastric regions. If conditions are ideal, the hydra can thus produce a new version of itself every couple of days.
3. Heterogony occurs when a species is born pregnant
If you're the type of person who likes to avoid the middleman and get straight to the point, then heterogony is for you. Insects like aphids reproduce this way, allowing the next generation to be born already pregnant, without the need for a lengthy mating process.
Aphids do not lay eggs; they are viviparous, and one aphid is capable of producing several perfect clones per day. This is why aphid infestations are so efficient—you really only need one aphid to create an entire colony.
Insects have the ability to reproduce sexually , if they want to, and will do so to add genetic diversity to ensure stronger offspring when the situation allows.
2. Binary fission requires the creation of an exact copy
Binary fission sounds very scientific and maybe a little dangerous, but in reality it is one of the simplest forms of reproduction in nature. It's actually that simple, simple life forms, such as various types of bacteria, can do this because the rest of us are too complex to handle it.
Found in simple single-celled organisms and some other microscopic creatures, binary fission occurs when the DNA of an individual cell begins to copy itself myself and essentially attaches all the new material to the cell wall until it's so full of new material that the cell splits in two, and now there are two identical cells, and the long, single-celled organism has become two. It's made its own twin!
1. Grafting plants can mix many species in one place.
Plant reproduction is obviously a bit different from animal reproduction, but for the most part, we understand that one plant must be pollinated by another, at which point a seed is formed, and perhaps a new plant grows as a result. More or less. But plants have a few additional tricks that allow them to thrive in the most unusual conditions, and none are stranger than grafting.
Because so many plants are genetically similar because they come from the same family, botanists and horticulturists have discovered over the years that you can take a cutting from one plant and attach it to another to create something entirely new. And, like transplanting a human limb, this cut can heal in place and begin to grow. But unlike transplanting a limb, this new branch can be so different that you'll create a fruit tree that now bears two different fruits. Or, if you really want to push the envelope, you can do what they call fruit salad trees .
Right now, you can buy a tree that grows limes, tangerines, and pomelos. Or maybe one that produces peaches, nectarines, plums, and other stone fruits. It's said that you can get some that grow up to 7 or 8 different varieties of fruit on a single tree, and they come in four main varieties, including citrus fruits, stone fruits, apples and naxi, which grow Asian pears.