Parthenogenesis in the Endemic Australian Lizard Heteronotia binoei (Gekkonidae)

Abstract

Chromosome variation in the gekkonid lizard Heteronotia binoei reveals that this endemic Australian vertebrate reproduces by parthenogenesis. Triploid parthenogenetic females are distributed throughout central and western Australia and are all heterozygotes for one or more pericentric inversions that also distinguish the extant bisexual diploid cytotypes. These data on karyotype provide strong evidence that the various clones have arisen through multiple hybridization events between bisexual ancestors.