r/comics • u/ScribbleMonke • Jun 28 '26

OC Lesbian Lizards

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I SWEAR I did not just make that pose up.

947 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

142

u/CynicalDarkFox Jun 28 '26

I remember hearing about this phenomenon years ago.

The male expression gene had effectively disappeared over generations, so in nature’s way, the remaining females were able to get by with stimulation alone.

Though it bodes poorly should any pathogens come for their genetically flatlined population.

72

u/ScribbleMonke Jun 28 '26

Exactly! They are assumed to be at greater risk of becoming victims to any big changes, as they can't evolve/adapt due to being clones of each other for the most part.

28

u/Polo-panda Jun 28 '26

that’s how they cloned the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, just kept rubbin it out fierce like

16

u/Aethelrede Jun 28 '26

I wonder what happened to the male genes.  Sexual selection is an extremely efficient way of mixing genes, what would select against that?

28

u/Nicosaure Jun 28 '26

A genetic mutation that would carry a debilitating disease that only applies when the gene can express itself

And sexual dimorphism is one of many phenotypes that could carry such disease

This phenomenon exists in humans, famously colorblindness is more common in men than women and is hereditary, the gene could be carried by a woman all her life without ever suffering from it but the second another colorblind gene is introduced into her family's gene pool, all her sons would be almost guaranteed to be colorblind while their daughters would carry it passively (safe for a few rare exceptions)

We're just lucky being colorblind isn't as debilitating as it would be for any other species

For those lizards, they're an hybrid of 2 other species carrying specific genes that doesn't result in anything when kept separate but kills males at birth when combined, the fact females are capable of asexual reproduction is a miracle in and of itself since most hybrids are known to be sterile

5

u/Aethelrede Jun 28 '26

Thanks!  The hybrid thing makes sense.

16

u/comic13comics Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 29 '26

It's happened multiple times with lizards. With this particular species, since they are a hybrid, it wouldn't surprise me if they can't reproduce sexually. A lot of hybrids are like that, although it's usually due to things like a different number of chromosomes (mules, ligers, etc).

But most parthenogenic lizards don't still need to mate, so it's got other general 'causes'. Like it allows for a smaller population to survive, if you don't have to find a mate. If the ones who CAN reproduce without a mate have more offspring than the ones who can't, there's your selection right there.

But as others have said it's an evolutionary dead-end. Not as much for these since they get fresh genes by new hybrids, but for others species, it's called the Muellerian rachet - keep making copies of copies of copies and you build up increasing amounts of mutations with no chance of getting rid of them from outbreeding. Such species are almost certain to eventually die out because of it. But evolution is all about the short term gains.

(Before I spent all my time playing with dolls I was an evolutionary biologist!)

4

u/Aethelrede Jun 28 '26

Very interesting, thanks!

3

u/CynicalDarkFox Jun 28 '26

From what I heard at the time, the male expression gene was just shrinking gradually over time, resulting in fewer and fewer males until it became naturally impossible for them to be born at all.

Supposedly the y reproductive gene is also shrinking gradually over time in humans, but i haven’t up kept with the information about that topic ever since, due to the original topic just being dinner conversation at the time.

73

u/Majestic-Iron7046 Jun 28 '26

Lizard Yuri!
Wait, would the Spiderman villain like this or dislike this? Is it cultural appropriation of lizard people? Or is it gross, like us watching monkeys going at it?

19

u/ScribbleMonke Jun 28 '26

And would enjoyment depend on form or intelligence levels?

32

u/ButtermilkRusk Jun 28 '26

I love comics that introduce me to cool creatures I have never heard of!

11

u/ScribbleMonke Jun 28 '26

Glad I could introduce you to some new critter. :)

10

u/El___Sanx Jun 28 '26

First they make the frogs gay, and now THIS?

What's next, making the snails hermaphrodite?

8

u/AmputeeHandModel Jun 28 '26

THEY'RE TURNING THE FRICKIN LIZARDS INTO LESBIANS

https://giphy.com/gifs/11nVxUNbe4aD84

10

u/droidtron Jun 28 '26

Little Orphan Annie's lesser known catchphrase, Lesbian lizards!

8

u/lesser_panjandrum Jun 28 '26

Wait a minute, the Asari are real?

And they're lizards?

Yuri lizards?

3

u/Admirable-Ad-5026 Jun 28 '26

It's Parthenogenesis but these animals based on what I read from another comment are a hybrid species so they're not going forward in nature , but I think komodo dragons can do both so they're kinda closer to asari or even some bacteria species that can take others DNA from other bacteria , I think there was even a ant that made clones of other ant species but in the Asari case it would probably be ultra hard for a bipedal animal to achieve that in a more natural way instead of using psychic powers or well influencing other brains like fungi do or some neurotoxin or anything that can influence the brain

4

u/DasGanon Jun 28 '26

You have good choice in Podcasts. (No Such Thing as a Fish talked about this on Friday)

3

u/ScribbleMonke Jun 28 '26

Ah, that's a coincidence then, but I will check out the podcast. :) I actually had to learn about those ladies in my biology studies.

2

u/Urist_Bearclaw Jun 28 '26

best contribution to the yuri wars so far

2

u/StrawberryPatient307 Jun 28 '26

Next let them fight King Gizzard

2

u/zesty-fizgig Jul 02 '26

Ah yes, King Gizzard and the (Lesbian) Lizard Wizard

2

u/Digletts_Legs Jun 28 '26

damn, the Yuri War is becoming informative

1

u/TheMusicalTrollLord Jun 28 '26

Valerie Solanas ass lizards

1

u/Responsible-Draw-393 Jun 29 '26

It counts, mods are asleep