Study shows condors can reproduce without mating

Title: Condors can reproduce without mating

LOCATION: California, United States

Scientists found that two condor chicks hatched from unfertilized eggs

LOCATION: San Diego Zoo

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CYNTHIA STEINER, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR THE CONSERVATION RESEARCH DIVISION AT SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE, AND CO-AUTHOR OF THE STUDY, SAYING:"It came as a big surprise, to be honest, we didn't expect to find any of this. . .from all this genetic data that we have from 30 past years of collecting genetic information from California condors, we put the pieces together and it was like an eureka moment. Ok so this is really happening."

Neither bird was genetically related to a male

The birds represent the first instances of asexual reproduction to be confirmed in the California condor species

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CYNTHIA STEINER, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR THE CONSERVATION RESEARCH DIVISION AT SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE, AND CO-AUTHOR OF THE STUDY, SAYING:"This is a very rare discovery because it's not well known in birds in general. So it's known in other species, in reptiles and in fish, but in birds it's very rare, in particular in wild species."

California condors are one of the world's rarest bird species

Scientists hope asexual reproduction could mean more condors in the wild