A two-headed bull shark. It is not a question of Siamese twins, but of a single creature. Scientists from Michigan State University came to this conclusion who examined the bull shark specimen found by a fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico on April 7, 2011.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Uno bull shark two-headed. It is not a question of Siamese twins, but of a single creature. Scientists from Michigan State University came to this conclusion who examined the bull shark specimen found by a fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico on April 7, 2011.
This is the first case of dicefalia (literally double head) for this shark species. In the past, specimens with this anomaly had been found in the blue shark, but it's the first time ever in a bull shark. Technically called "axial bifurcation" the deformity that affected him shark it is the result of the wrong "subdivision" of the embryo which separates itself into two separate organisms, as happens with twins, but in an incomplete way.
To examine the case was Michael Wagner, assistant professor of fishing and wildlife at Michigan State University. According to the scientist, it is a very rare mutation that occurs in several animals, including humans. The shark he was first taken to the marine science department of Florida Keys Community College. From there, he was transported to the Michigan State campus for further exams.
Wagner and his team examined the fetus through MRI. Without further damaging the little creature, the resonance revealed two distinct heads, two hearts and two stomachs with the rest of the body joined in the rear half of the animal to form a single tail. The difficulty in finding anomalies of this type it is partly due to the fact that in most cases the animals presenting them die shortly after birth. In this case, it was the fisherman who found the double-headed shark inside the uterus of an adult shark. The fisherman's attempt to save him is in vain. The shark died shortly after its birth.
The real question to ask, however, is another. Why the deformation? Wagner observed that according to some it could be attributed toexposure to pollutants. "Given the moment of the shark discovery with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, I could see how some people might jump to those conclusions," added Wagner. However, he points out, “take that leap it is unjustified. We have no evidence to support this cause or any other. "
Francesca Mancuso
Read also:
- 10 rare sharks facing extinction
- CITES: decisions on ivory, shark and precious wood trade
