Thursday, July 28, 2005

Canibalism Inside the Womb

So this is fascinating...

Scientists to breed test-tube sharks
SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) -- The endangered grey nurse shark is its own worst enemy, its young eat each other in the womb, so Australian scientists have a radical rescue plan to artificially inseminate and breed the ocean predator in test-tubes.

In a process called intra-uterine cannibalism, grey nurse embryo pups develop a jaw and razor-sharp teeth very early in their development and cannibalize siblings in the womb.

The sharks have two wombs in which a dominant pup will consume its siblings, leaving only two surviving pups every two years when the shark breeds.

In hearing of this very un-Christian like behavior, George W. Bush has decided to bomb all grey nurse sharks. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld believes that this altercation could be over in 1, 2, or 6 months (though he doubts 6 months) or perhaps might take 10 to 15 years.

But in the end, we'll be rid of these creatures, and the world will be a better place.

It's good to know George W. Bush has his priorities straight.
 

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