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From: dant@tekla.tek.com.tek.com (Dan Tilque;1893;92-789;LP=A;60/C)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: An All Female Species of Fish!
Message-ID: <1640@zeus.TEK.COM>
Date: Sun, 3-May-87 21:12:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: zeus.1640
Posted: Sun May  3 21:12:34 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 4-May-87 03:43:57 EDT
References: <1055@thebes.UUCP> <9576@duke.cs.duke.edu>
Sender: rogers@zeus.TEK.COM
Reply-To: dant@tekla.tek.com (Dan Tilque)
Organization: Congregatio de Propaganda Fide
Lines: 24

Ed Simpson writes:
>
>The problem of how separate parthenogenetic lines can maintain species
>indentity is long standing.  In fact, according to the biological species
>concept separate parthenogenetic lines consitute separate species, if the
>lines are completely reproductively isolated.  
>

One aspect of parthenogenic reproduction which seems to be common in all
of the species mentioned so far, is that the parthenogenisis seems to
be stimulated by mating behavior or sperm from the males of a related
species.  This implies that the parthenogenic females have to remain
recognizable as females by those which engage in mating behavior with them.

They also would have to continue to share at least part of the same
habitat as those males.  (Lucius C. made a reference to this in an earlier
posting.)

I would think that these two restrictions would help maintain the
identity of the species.

---
Dan Tilque
dant@tekla.tek.com