Scientists Finally Know How an All-Female Fish Keeps Cloning Itself

A genetic study explains how the all-female Amazon molly has persisted for more than 100,000 years despite reproducing by cloning.

Researchers found that gene conversion helps the fish replace recombination by purging harmful mutations while preserving useful genetic variation.

The finding sheds light on how this asexual vertebrate lineage avoids the usual genetic decline seen in clonal species.

It offers new insight into evolution, parthenogenesis, and gynogenesis in the Amazon molly and related mollies.