February 2018 - The Lovers

February is a powerhouse month for The Lovers. And I don't say this because of Valentine's Day alone. 

But, to counteract all the syrup and candy hearts, I'll spoil the romantic mood by talking about those creatures for whom a partner is not always required, even for reproduction.  Some species have the ability to replicate themselves without any male intervention, a process known as parthenogenesis.   

A few plants can do this, as can some insects - scorpions, aphids, (some) bees, mites, and wasps; a few fish, amphibians, reptiles, and, rarely, birds -- who are basically flying reptiles, their scales transmuted long ago into feathers. 

A notable parthenogenic example is the owner of this anatomical part: 

If you see a Dragon's Foot, you're correct. 

The Komodo Dragon is the world's largest lizard, growing up to to 10 feet long and weighing as much as 300 pounds, and found only on a few small islands in Indonesia.

Even with their enormous mass,  resembling nothing so much as an armored tank with legs, they can run 13 miles an hour. 

It is recommended that you run faster.

They don't hear well, or see well, but sense the presence of prey by flicking their tongues like a snake -- basically 'tasting' the air.  

Their venom contains toxins that inhibit blood from clotting.  A victim that initially escapes after being bitten will eventually bleed out, while the lumbering dragon tracks them, slowly, patiently, for miles. 

They can consume up to 80% of their body weight in one feeding. Their own babies need to scamper up trees soon after birth, to avoid being eaten by their mother! THAT'S truly savage - and also a paradoxical survival strategy, embedded into instinct.

Reptiles have never been noted for sentiment. 

This is all well and good, but how long can a species survive, relying solely upon this strategy? Offspring born parthenogenetically are all female, and described in some cases as "half-clones"of their mother. It would seem to make sense that the DNA, after so many iterations without an infusion of fresh genetic information, would begin to decay. And yet, the Mullers Tegas lizard has apparently successfully employed asexual reproduction for unknown eons. It was only recently that, among a sample of 192 individuals in 34 different locations in South America, researchers were shocked to discover males -- all 8 of them!

Parthenogenesis sounds boring, pretty flat, really. Would we prefer to live without partners, lunging about like an armored tank? Mostly, no. Even though we do enjoy a night out with the girlfriends, we'd miss out on all the good jokes, like this one:

For success in marriage,
1. A woman needs a man who can contribute financially.
2. A woman needs a man who is 'handy', or at least willing to do chores and the heavy lifting.
3. A woman needs a man who is sensitive in the bedroom.
4. Most importantly, these 3 men must never meet.

Let me add #5: A woman needs a man with a sense of humor.

The mysterious characteristics of species with a parthenogenic (also described as 'asexual') option are still being explored. Such a capacity may be driven by environmental factors - such as an shortage/absence of males - or by what can only be described as preference: the unexpected drama of the female stick beetle, who emits an anti-aphrodisiac chemical to discourage aggressively amorous males, is documented here: BBC article on 'virgin births' .

For an interesting read on the fluidity of gender selection in insects, as well as the wider implications of 'genetic alliances' (such as ours with wheat, corn, horses, dogs, etc), this science writer describes herself as a "centre-left atheist humanist" - and curiously, her name contains the word 'rubicon'! Rosa Rubicondior on genetic selection

We, the mammals, find little appeal in parthenogenesis, on the whole. The few examples of Virgin births in human history are always attributed to Divine sources. 

In our appreciation for the natural world, we have plenty of relatives to empathize with. Our warm hearts are drawn to the 'small people' of almost any other species. 

And we, the mammals, will take care of them, even if they are cold-blooded -- because we are endowed with a nurturing instinct, an imperative to keep life alive...

...unless, of course, we ourselves are starving, in which case we may have to eat you (hello, lizard brain). Sorry about that.

Nonetheless, companionship is the most basic of needs for social animals, and among humans is foregone voluntarily only by spiritual devotees and artists. Our emotional and physical health, even our survival, is greatly impacted by the quality of our companions.

And we, the humans, specialize in that elusive quality called 'love', with its infinite degrees of subtle shadings. We declare that the human soul is a treasure unmatched in the universe, its un-replicable uniqueness the sterling touchstone that makes each of us irreplaceable. As the old song goes, "There will never ever be another YOU."
The Incomparable Nat King Cole 

Consider also our mortality, our time-limited quality, our inevitable but unknown expiration date. It's an important distinction, I suspect, between the humans and our other mammal relatives: they live only in The Now, not for the future. As far as we know, they are not aware - in the way we are - that ultimately, the form they are inhabiting will perish. 

Perhaps it is at this intersection that we come by our profound need for connection, and our deep capacity for love. 


Challenges in our close relationships show up, to stretch our hearts open, carving out room in that sacred chamber
for more love to inhabit it.

So, why not celebrate the Lovers? Whether by kismet or karma, somehow they manage, with whatever radar they possess, to find each other within this vast and seemingly random world of strangers, and persist through all manner of circumstances to hold each other's hearts tenderly on a silken tether.

Certainly it's a miracle of its own.
Onward, to the chocolates and roses.