The Shedd Aquarium is heralding a “virgin birth.” Instead of a manger, think of a giant saltwater tank filled with hundreds of fish. It was there that a zebra shark named Bubbles eschewed the attention of two male suitors and decided to go it alone in a phenomenon known as parthenogenesis. Instead of mating, Bubbles used her own genetic material to fertilize two eggs, Shedd Aquarium officials announced Monday. The two little eggs hatched in February 2016 and researchers learned of the peculiar event through genetic testing that’s done to prevent inbreeding in future generations of the endangered species. The baby sharks survived only 6 months. The timing of Monday’s announcement may seem odd because it comes six years after their birth. But it coincides with a paper published in the “Journal of Fish Biology.” Its authors were Lise Watson, the Shedd’s assistant director of animal operations, and Kevin Feldheim, lab manager at the Field Museum. Read the full story through the link in our bio. Story: Mitch Dudek Photo: Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times