What’s Unique About the Flowerpot Snake?
One of the world’s smallest snakes.
Parthenogenetic: reproduces without mating (all individuals are female).
Has three sets of chromosomes (triploid) instead of the usual two (diploid).
Total of 40 chromosomes, organized into three subgenomes.
Key Scientific Findings
Researchers studied its genome to understand:
How the snake repairs DNA.
How it avoids harmful mutations, despite reproducing clonally (without genetic mixing).
Such organisms typically accumulate mutations, but the flowerpot snake has genetic mechanisms to preserve genome stability.
Implications of the Study
Offers insights into DNA repair mechanisms and genome stability in asexual species.
Relevant for understanding human genetic conditions like:
Trisomy disorders (e.g., Down Syndrome, which involves an extra copy of chromosome 21).
Can contribute to knowledge in:
Evolutionary biology.
Genomic medicine.
Conservation genetics.
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