The most likely explanation, something called parthenogenesis.

最可能的解释是一种称为雌生殖的东西。

For this sort of mutagenic work, however, parthenogenesis is an advantage.

然而，对于这种突变工作来，生殖是一种优势。

It's a product of parthenogenesis which means it was born from an unfertilized egg.

这种繁殖叫雌生殖这就是它由没有受过精的卵孵化而来。

Scientists think parthenogenesis could be evolutionarily beneficial in some contexts because, well, sex can be a drag.

科学家们认为，雌生殖有时候在化上更有利，因为交配可以成为一种负担。

Scientists also confirmed that parthenogenesis was taking place in some wild snake populations.

科学家们也发现，雌生殖还会在某些野生蛇类种群中发生。

In parthenogenesis, an embryo develops from an unfertilized egg cell that doubles its own chromosome count.

在雌生殖中，胚胎由未受精的卵细胞在染色体数目翻倍后发育而来。

But some aphids, katydids, lizards, geckos, and snakes only ever reproduce via parthenogenesis.

而有些蚜虫、蝈蝈、蜥蜴、壁虎、蛇等只雌生殖。

In fact, some animals only ever undergo parthenogenesis, while others can reproduce both sexually and parthenogenetically.

实际上，有些动物只雌生殖，而另外一些则既可以有繁殖，也能雌生殖。

Members of Brachionus plicatilis are not as sex-starved as that, but they still reproduce for the most part by parthenogenesis.

褶皱臂尾虫的成员并没有那么地“饥渴”，但它们仍多半通过生殖繁殖。

In the summer, when food is abundant, pea aphids can rely on parthenogenesis, allowing their population to explode under favorable conditions.

在夏季食物充足的时候，豌豆蚜可以雌生殖，让种群数量在有利环境中迅速膨胀。

Scientists already knew that birds are capable of parthenogenesis, and now they've learned that crocs are also on board.

科学家早已知道鸟类具有雌生殖的能力，现在他们又发现鳄鱼也具有这种能力。

Mayflies can default to parthenogenesis, which is quite handy because some females live for less than 5 minutes.

蜉蝣可以默认雌生殖，这非常方便， 因为有些雌寿命不到 5 分钟。

Even when there are males around, females may still use parthenogenesis.

即使周围有雄，雌仍可能采用雌生殖。

Still, parthenogenesis plays an important role when population numbers need to grow fast in a short time.

尽管如此，当种群数量需要在短时间内快速增长时，雌生殖仍然起着重要作用。

Parthenogenesis is a type of asexual reproduction where an embryo develops without previous fertilization.

雌生殖是一种无生殖，其中胚胎无需先前受精即可发育。

For parthenogenesis to happen, a chain of cellular events has to unfold.

为了实现生殖，必须发生一系列细胞事件。

But some species that have sex cells can undergo a type of asexual reproduction called parthenogenesis — meaning " virgin origin" in Greek.

不过，一些具有细胞的物种可以一种无繁殖，即“雌生殖”，在希腊语中是“处女起源”的意思。

But this wasn’t a case of cloning or parthenogenesis -- sometimes called " virgin birth" -- neither of which requires sperm.

但这不是克隆或雌生殖——有时称为“处女生育”——两者都不需要精子。

Many cases of parthenogenesis have been discovered in geckos, snakes and lizards that live in dry and harsh climates, such as high altitudes.

在生活在高海拔等干燥恶劣气候条件下的壁虎、蛇和蜥蜴中发现了许多雌生殖的例子。

Mayflies can sometimes default to parthenogenesis if there are no males available, which is especially handy because they've only got a day or so to reproduce before dying.

蜉蝣在没有雄存在的条件下可以转为雌生殖，这非常方便，因为它们在死亡前只有一天左右的时间繁殖。