Posted on 09/23/2006 12:08:46 AM PDT by GinJax
Biologists at the University of Manchester want help in cracking their "miracle" discovery of three fish inside a sealed egg.
The group found the duck egg in a small pond on a field trip to the French Alps and noticed something moving inside it.
When they cracked open the shell, three live minnows were inside.
They have enlisted the help of other experts, but despite their extensive combined knowledge, the biologists admit they are "baffled".
Dr Matthew Cobb, a lecturer in animal behaviour at the university, said: "As 21st century scientists rather than 17th century antiquarians we think it's unlikely this represents a hitherto unknown mode of fish reproduction.
Predatory attack
"Perhaps the egg fell into the pond following some kind of predatory attack but we're baffled as to how the minnows got to be inside.
"Certainly, we didn't see any crack in the egg."
Dr Cobb and his colleague, Henry McGhie, head of natural sciences at the Manchester Museum, have written to the New Scientist magazine in the hope readers will help solve the mystery.
Minnows are small freshwater fish, often used as bait by anglers.
Aflack!
Let me see if I got this straight, a group of biologists on an outing stumble across an egg in a small pond, pick it up to study it, see something moving inside, crack it open and there's three live minnows inside. Then they take a picture of it with what appears to three now dead minnows.
I think it's a sign that the 12th Mahdi is coming.
Paging Mr. Ahmadinejad! Would Mr. Ahmadinejad please report to the white courtesy phone.
I was just at that beach where that scene was filmed.
A great place, Molo aa' Bay, or something like that.
A good hidden spot.
I bet Mr Duck would be very interested in knowing how Mrs Duck produced an egg with 3 minnows in it as well.
:)
It took quite a while for those fish to get that big, there is something fishy about this story!
what came first, the chicken or the egg..
well i think we just answered that question. :-).. can't believe nobody has said that yet.
For some reason the term, "Piltdown Man" has entered my mind.
LOL ...... he's away from the phone right now ......... down a well.
Duck eats grass in pond with minnow eggs and a small twig that punctures digestive system into egg production gland. Duck heals, but a resulting Duck egg contains minnow eggs that hatch and grow inside. Next question!
Snopes should be all over this one soon.
If they were looking for crack, that could explain things.
This sounds hoax-like.
"The group found the duck egg in a small pond on a field trip to the French Alps and noticed something moving inside it."
Did the thought ever cross their mind that maybe it was a baby duck moving around inside the duck egg? Bogus story concocted to generate research grant money.
A clear case of punctuated equilibrium.
How do you "notice" something in an opaque surrounding?
what type of fish would be interesting to know
Those minnows didn't have an eggsit strategy.
To me, this is a hoax. How could minnows hatch in an egg and grow to the size shown and survive without oxygen/water? An egg couldn't have its oxygen replenished.
God definitely has a sense of humor...
Perhaps this is a new way to sell bait, and this one "egg" fell out of the fisherman's pocket.
I'm counting the posts until one of the usual suspects shows up to claim this proves Haeckel's drawings were correct.
Was Rove fishing in the area?
 |
I'm guessing these guys could tell them how to do it. On stage. Every night. |
Those ducks should avoid having sex with the fish!
Another case where so-called scientists display a caviar attitude towards people of common sense...
How am I expected to believe these guys after they cracked open the egg?
Just the other day me and my dog Grump were discussing this. He thought that something was amiss but who knows.
I bet he'd be all quacked up at hearing her explanation.
Doesn't matter which came first- chicken or egg. You have to have a Rooster too. ;0)
Finding Nemo!
Really? what island is it on? can you give me the location? i'd love to go there.. i remember watching that show as a kid.
Were you making a yolk? Some have accused this of being a fishing expedition, or perhaps poachers, and the team is now scrambling to prove it wasn't an eggplant.
Years ago there were numerous reports of women finding pantyhose in eggs.
Moloa'a Bay is in Kauai.
I never even knew about where it was, its a bit off the beaten track. Its in a little neighborhood and no real parking, and you gotta walk past a few houses to get to the beach access.
Its great, I'll be back!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.