The most likely explanation, something called parthenogenesis.

最可能的解释是一种称为孤雌生殖的东西。

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

然而，对于这种突变工作来说，单性生殖是一种优势。

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

这种繁殖叫孤雌生殖这就是说它由没有受过精的卵孵化而来。

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

科学家们也发现，孤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.

在孤雌生殖中，胚胎由未受精的卵细胞在染色体数目翻倍后发育而来。

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

实际上，有些动物只进行孤雌生殖，而另外一些则既可以进行有性繁殖，也能进行孤雌生殖。

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

科学家们认为，孤雌生殖有时候在进化上更有利，因为交配可以成为一种负担。

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

而有些蚜虫、蝈蝈、蜥蜴、壁虎、蛇等只进行孤雌生殖。

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“性饥渴”，但它们仍多半通过单性生殖进行繁殖。

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

即使周围有雄性，雌性仍可能采用孤雌生殖。

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

为了实现单性生殖，必须发生一系列细胞事件。

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

蜉蝣可以默认进行孤雌生殖，这非常方便， 因为有些雌性寿命不到 5 分钟。

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

不过，一些具有性细胞的物种可以进行一种无性繁殖，即“孤雌生殖”，在希腊语中是“处女起源”的意思。

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，孤雌生殖仍然起着重要作用。

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，豌豆蚜可以孤雌生殖，让种群数量在有利环境中迅速膨胀。

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

但这不是克隆或孤雌生殖——有时称为“处女生育”——两者都不需要精子。

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孤雌生殖的能力，现在他们又发现鳄鱼也具有这种能力。

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孤雌生殖的例子。

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.

蜉蝣在没有雄性存在的条件下可以转为孤雌生殖，这非常方便，因为它们在死亡前只有一天左右的时间进行繁殖。

But we still need to figure it one thing out: When parthenogenesis is nothing new, what makes this latest " virgin birth" so stunning that it crashed the news worldwide?

但我们仍需弄清楚一件事：单性生殖早已不是什么新鲜事，为何这起最新的“处女生子”事件如此令人震惊，甚至引起全球关注？