Expert answer:A biologist at the Cal Academy of Science calls

  

Solved by a verified expert:A biologist at the Cal Academy of Science calls you one day to consult about a strange occurrence. She tells you that a hammerhead shark in their aquarium recently became pregnant and gave birth. This was the only hammerhead shark in the tank, and in fact this shark had never come in contact with another shark. She also tells you that the baby shark is only about half the size of a typical baby shark. How do you explain this unexpected birth? Shark use an XY sex determination system similar to mammals (males are XY and females are XX, and the sex determining factor is on the Y chromosome.) Would you predict the baby shark to have male or female characteristics? Explain your answer.