Article Summary HPB

 The article "DNA tests prove it--Baby shark has no father," on cnn.com (http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/10/shark.virgin.birth.ap/index.html) was about sharks and their evolutionary/adaptive way of reproducing asexually when mates were scarce. This oddity, the article says, has been found in just the shark species. Species such as birds, bony fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Although scientists caution that these "virgin births" occurring within the shark species are not to be seen as a solution to the problem of declining species number, they still may become even more prevalent because of it. As more and more sharks die off, more and more virgin births will take place, scientists assume. While this article has relatively nothing to do with technology, it is a prime example of evolutionary adaptations. It provides insight on a specific species with respect to mating patterns and asexual reproduction. While this virgin birth was only the second recorded one, scientists say that these have been occurring since sharks existed and the need for mates was prevalent while they were scarce. This gene was left in the sharks, inactive, until species number declined, where the gene was activated once again. These virgin births are but another remarkable example of how organisms can adapt and evolve to meet their own needs.