Canadian scientists have used genetic research to reveal that stick insects have lived for one million
years without sex.
They traced the history of two species of Tinema stick insects found on the West Coast of America,
Timema tahoe and Timema genevievae, using the insects ‘DNA.
Timema genevievae is a female only species of stick insect and is known to produce young in ‘virgin
births’. The insects are able to reproduce without the need for egg fertilisation by males, creating
genetic clones of themselves.
Dr Tanja Schwander and her team from Simon Fraser University are hoping the discovery can help
researchers understand how life without sex is possible, alerting excited Star Trek fans everywhere.
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