Virginia Beach, VA
- DNA testing confirms that a
female
Atlantic blacktip shark at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine
Science Center was carrying a baby that came into being without fertilization from a male. The 5' shark, named Tidbit, lived at the Aquaruium for
eight years without the presence of males of the same species.
Tidbit died after being removed from the tank
for a veterinary examination. A subsequent necropsy revealed that
she was carrying a fully developed shark pup nearly ready to be
born - the pup had been reproduced by a process known as
parthenogenesis ("the development of an individual from an egg without
fertilization"). In 2002 a hammerhead shark gave birth to a parthenogenetic pup at a zoo in Omaha.
Here's more from Will Dunham at Reuters.
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Nekoosa Wisconsin
- In past years Rich Hildebrandt has paddled a pumpkin for
glory to win Nekoosa's Great Pumpkin Race. This year he's paddling a
pumpkin for charity. On Saturday, October 11, he'll get into a
giant 760 lb pumpkin (after carving) to travel 150 miles down the
Wisconsin River from Nekoosa to Prarie du Chien to raise money
for the Tri-City Children's Dream Foundation.
Hildebrandt has placed a board in the bottom of the pumpkin for
stability, a chair to sit on and a propane heater to ward off the chill
of October mornings. The trip will take him 8
days. Hildebrandt acknowledges that "the smell may
get bad for a while."
Here's a photo and more on the story from Tom Leonard for Telegraph UK.
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