Final answer:
The hammerhead shark, usually reproducing sexually, can undergo a rare asexual reproduction process called parthenogenesis, particularly when isolated from males. This adaptation may help prevent extinction in situations where potential mates are unavailable, as observed in other animal species.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hammerhead shark, like other vertebrates, typically reproduces sexually. However, in rare cases, a form of asexual reproduction called parthenogenesis has been observed. This phenomenon has been noted not only in captive conditions, such as in terrestrial and marine zoos, where two female Komodo dragons, a hammerhead shark, and a blacktop shark have produced offspring without mating. Evidence suggests that for endangered species like the smalltooth sawfish, parthenogenesis might be an adaptation for survival when the population is low and males are scarce.
In contrast to asexual reproduction methods like budding and fragmentation (common among some sea stars and simple animals), parthenogenesis is unique in vertebrates. For example, in sharks, parthenogenesis can lead to the birth of young that are genetically identical to the mother, accounting for the occasions when female sharks have been isolated from males and still produce young.
While sharks generally adopt sexual reproduction, which includes internal fertilization and various methods of developing embryos, such as ovoviviparity, viviparity, or oviparity, parthenogenesis remains an extraordinary reproductive event among vertebrates.