Unprecedented Discovery: Dolphin with 'Thumbs' Amazes Scientists
TL;DR
Scientists at the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute in Greece have discovered a dolphin with deformed flippers that resemble human thumbs in the Gulf of Corinth. This is the first time such a morphology has been observed in 30 years of surveys in the open sea. The dolphin appears to be swimming and playing normally, suggesting that the shape of its flippers is not due to illness. It is believed that the deformity is a result of rare and irregular genes caused by inbreeding, as the dolphin population in the gulf is isolated from its Mediterranean peers.
Topics:worldscience-and-environment#dolphin#genetic-defect#gulf-of-corinth#inbreeding#marine-mammals#science-and-environment
- Dolphin With 'Thumbs' Stuns Experts In Historic Discovery HuffPost
- Extremely rare dolphin ‘with thumbs’ spotted off coast of Greece The Independent
- Unique Dolphin Discovery: Gulf Of Corinth Resident Flaunts Hook-Shaped 'Thumbs' – Greek City Times GreekCityTimes.com
- Rare Dolphin With 'Thumbs' Spotted In Greek Gulf, Researchers Surprised NDTV
- Dolphin with 'thumbs' surprises scientists in first-ever discovery New York Post
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