The First Wild 'Virgin Births'

The video discusses the mysterious mass deaths of Saiga antelopes in Kazakhstan, with over 120,000 dying in a short period. Various theories are explored, including environmental factors and a potential bacterial infection, hemorrhagic septicemia. Meanwhile, a separate discovery in Florida reveals that smalltooth sawfish are reproducing through parthenogenesis, a form of virgin birth, due to their dwindling population. This phenomenon, while biologically fascinating, highlights the critical state of their population due to overfishing and habitat loss.

Describe the phenomenon of parthenogenesis as observed in the small tooth sawfish.

What implications does the reproductive strategy of the sawfish have on its population status?