The Amazon molly is an all-female fish that reproduces by cloning. It began after a mating between two different fish species and scientists first confirmed asexual vertebrates long ago. The species has surprised researchers by surviving for a very long time.
University researchers sequenced the molly’s genome and expected to find damage from cloning, but the DNA appeared healthy. They proposed gene conversion, where one gene copy overwrites another, as a repair process. New sequencing tests supported this idea and may help work in breeding and disease research.
Difficult words
- asexual — Without sexual reproduction; no male needed.
- vertebrate — Animal with a backbone or spinal column.vertebrates
- genome — All the DNA information in an organism.
- sequence — To read the order of letters in DNA.sequenced
- clone — Create an identical copy of an organism.cloning
- gene conversion — One gene copy replaces the other copy.
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Discussion questions
- Are you surprised that the Amazon molly reproduces by cloning? Why?
- Why do you think scientists study the molly’s genome?
- How could understanding gene conversion help future research?
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