Frank Swain is a science writer and blogger. He is based in the UK.
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Keep up to date with RSSTreehugger reports on the work of marine scientists at Brazil's Guaruja Aquarium, who have added a plastic window onto a shark egg so they can watch the fish develop.
In the photo above you can see the fetal bamboo shark attached to a large yolk sac. The video below gives a better view.
After noting that the unborn shark was unaffected by the window on its neonatal world, researchers removed the entire animal from its purse and allowed it to grow inside a perspex container. The work will help shed more light on how young sharks develop, an understanding of which is crucial to the conservation of threatened shark species.
Life Science
Comments
I read the headline as
"Researchers install Windows® on shark egg"
Posted by: GoatRider | May 31, 2010 5:23 PM
@Goat Rider
haha, like this.
Posted by: Frank the SciencePunk | May 31, 2010 6:10 PM
Hah! Exactly like that!
Posted by: GoatRider | May 31, 2010 10:23 PM
This is amazing! I recently read (in Jean-Paul Gagnon's 'the democracy paradox', see http://eprints.qut.edu.au/31691/1/31691.pdf) that communication is essential for democracy to grow. We should apply the same principle to marine science and see if we communicate it more it too will grow! Maybe it will impact democracy in a way that the government will fund it more so that more of this great science can continue!
Posted by: Vanessa Wong | June 1, 2010 4:57 AM
Does anybody know what the red thread like things hanging off of it are? I'm no developmental biologist...I just know basics like blastocyst and such..
Posted by: Megan | June 1, 2010 5:42 AM
I too read 'Windows'. That was cool, but now I'm disappointed.
Posted by: Toby | June 1, 2010 11:04 AM
@megan I would hazard a guess and suggest that the thread like things are external gills (like on a Axolotl).
Posted by: Allan | June 1, 2010 12:10 PM
I wonder how early they could install the window. It would be neat to get to see the really early stages embryo development. It looks like the shark is pretty far along in all of these photos, though.
Posted by: Mike Mike | June 2, 2010 5:15 AM
I'll be impressed when it runs Linux
Posted by: Linus T | June 2, 2010 5:39 AM
XP, Vista or 7?
Posted by: Bill | June 2, 2010 2:22 PM