There Is a Species of Desert Lizard Where Only Females

Multiple Choice

There is a species of desert lizard where only females are known to exist-there are no males known. It is nevertheless necessary for two females to court and for one to assume the posture of a male to stimulate the female to produce eggs. No fertilization can occur, and the eggs develop into female lizards. What is the probable evolutionary mechanism for this occurring?

A) The species is probably going extinct.
B) The desert is relatively uniform and there is little advantage to maintaining variation, but the animal has not been able to completely evolve away from its heritage of sexual reproduction.
C) This switch in mating behavior is the direct physical reflection of crossing-over.
D) This is probably an asexual organism attempting to mimic sexual reproduction.