Parthenogenesis
![The asexual, all-female whiptail species Cnemidophorus neomexicanus (center), which reproduces via parthenogenesis, is shown flanked by two sexual species having males C. inornatus (left) and C. tigris (right), which hybridized naturally to form the C. neomexicanus species.](/Images/godic/202501/12/Cnemidophorus-ThreeSpecies2248.jpg")
![The effects of central fusion and terminal fusion on heterozygosity](/Images/godic/202501/12/Central_fusion_and_terminal_fusion_automixis.svg2248.png")
![Honey Bee on a plum blossom](/Images/godic/202501/12/Plumpollen00602248.jpg")
![Komodo dragon, Varanus komodoensis, rarely reproduces offspring via parthenogenesis.](/Images/godic/202501/12/Varanus_komodoensis52248.jpg")
Parthenogenesis (/ˌpɑːrθᵻnoʊˈdʒɛnᵻsᵻs, -θᵻnə-/; from the Greek παρθένος parthenos, "virgin", + γένεσις genesis, "creation" ) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and development of embryos occur without fertilization. In animals, parthenogenesis means development of an embryo from an unfertilized egg cell and is a component process of apomixis.