Autotoky is uniparental reproduction by self-fertilization or by parthenogenesis.[1] [2] The word comes from the Greek words auto meaning self and tokos meaning birth. Plants that reproduce by parthenogenesis usually do so by apomixis, a process that retains meiosis.[3] Animals that reproduce by parthenogenesis usually use automixis, another process that retains meiosis.[3] The elements of meiosis that are retained in these reproductive systems are (1) pairing of homologous chromosomes, (2) DNA double-strand break formation, and (3) recombinational repair at prophase I.[3] The adaptive function of meiosis that is retained in these forms of autotoky appears to be repair of DNA damage.[3]