Surf Wiki
Save to docs
general/reproduction-in-animals

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Arrhenotoky

Male-producing form of parthenogenesis

Male-producing form of parthenogenesis

Arrhenotoky (from Greek ἄρρην árrhēn "male" and τόκος tókos "birth"), also known as arrhenotokous parthenogenesis, is a form of parthenogenesis in which unfertilized eggs develop into males. In most cases, parthenogenesis produces exclusively female offspring, hence the distinction.

Overview

The set of processes included under the term arrhenotoky depends on the author: arrhenotoky may be restricted to the production of males that are haploid (haplodiploidy); may include diploid males that permanently inactivate one set of chromosomes (parahaploidy); or may be used to cover all cases of males being produced by parthenogenesis (including such cases as aphids, where the males are XO diploids).

In the most commonly used sense of the term, arrhenotoky is synonymous with haploid arrhenotoky or haplodiploidy: the production of haploid males from unfertilized eggs in insects having a haplodiploid sex-determination system. Males are produced parthenogenetically, while diploid females are usually produced biparentally from fertilized eggs. In a similar phenomenon, parthenogenetic diploid eggs develop into males by converting one set of their chromosomes to heterochromatin, thereby inactivating those chromosomes. This is referred to as diploid arrhenotoky or parahaploidy.

Arrhenotoky occurs in members of the insect order Hymenoptera (bees, ants, and wasps) and the Thysanoptera (thrips). The system also occurs sporadically in some spider mites, Hemiptera, Coleoptera (Micromalthus debilis, bark beetles), Scorpiones (Tityus metuendus) and rotifers.

Notes

References

References

  1. (2003). "The evolution of alternative genetic systems in insects". Annual Review of Entomology.
  2. (2007). "On some terms used in the cytogenetics and reproductive biology of scale insects (Homoptera: Coccinea)". Comparative Cytogenetics.
  3. (2004). "Conditional Use of Sex and Parthenogenesis for Worker and Queen Production in Ants". Science.
  4. (1972). "Diploid arrhenotoky and automictic thelytoky in soft scale insects (Lecaniidae: Coccoidea: Homoptera)". Chromosoma.
  5. (1971). "Parthenogenesis in Coccids (Homoptera)". Integrative and Comparative Biology.
  6. Grimaldi, David A.. (2005-05-16). "Evolution of the Insects". Cambridge University Press.
  7. White, Michael J.D.. (1984). "Chromosomal mechanisms in animal reproduction". Bolletino di Zoologia.
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

reproduction-in-animals asexual-reproduction sex-determination-systems
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Arrhenotoky — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report