WEIRD STUFF: Crocodile impregnates itself

Crocodile impregnates itself

A fully-formed foetus was found inside a crocodile egg, despite the reptile, which is being kept in captivity in a Costa Rica zoo, having no contact with males.

The foetus was 99.9 per cent genetically identical to the mother, confirming that it did not have a father.

It marks the first recorded instance of a 'virgin birth' in the reptile species although they have previously been documented in birds, lizards and fish.

Researchers from Virginia Tech university suggest that virgin births could have been happening in crocodiles without anybody realising.

The experts said: "It is not uncommon for captive reptiles to lay clutches of eggs, given the period of isolation from mates, these would normally be considered non-viable and discarded.

"These findings therefore suggest that eggs should be assessed for potential viability when males are absent.

"Furthermore, given that (virgin births) can occur in the presence of potential mates, instances of this may be missed when reproduction occurs in females co-habited with males."

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Sharks often ignore humans

A study conducted on great white sharks has found that the predators came within biting distance of human beings on 97 per cent of surveyed days in the Pacific Ocean but did not attack at all.

Patrick Rex, who led the study for California State University Long Beach, said: "The juveniles were often observed within 50 yards of where the waves break, putting surfers in close proximity.

"Most of the time water users didn't know the sharks were there."

Marine biology professor Christopher Lowe believes that the findings could change how people perceive the risk of sharing the water with sharks.

He said: "People will be shocked by these findings."

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Scientists discover healing powers of beetroot

Beetroot juice slashes the risk of suffering a heart attack.

A new study has found that drinking just 70ml of the vegetable juice per day halved the danger of heart attacks and other complications in angina patients with a stent in just six months.

According to the experts, the purple drink contains nitrates that help dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow.

Dr Krishnaraj Rathod, from Queen Mary University of London, said: "Our patients liked that their treatment was a completely natural product that has no significant side effects.

"We will take this to the next stage of trials in the hope doctors can soon prescribe beetroot juice to ensure stents last longer."

Over 1.3 million people in the UK live with angina and many are fitted with stents to keep their arteries open but they are prone to failure.

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Yoga helpful in fighting cancer

Doctors have been told to prescribe yoga classes to survivors of cancer to reduce their chances of suffering a relapse.

Attendees at a global cancer conference were told that a US study found that taking two yoga classes per week significantly cut inflammation in patients who had recovered from cancer.

The trials also linked daily 30-minute walks and exercise classes to a lower risk of cancer returning and dying from the disease.

Karen Mustian, lead researcher at the University of Rochester in New York, said: "The basic take-home story is that inflammatory chemicals were lowered by the yoga.

"This shows that if you choose to do yoga you are going to lower inflammation much more than just educational, peer-support classes.

"Inflammation underlies virtually everything that we don't want to see in cancer. So it underlines the cancer itself. It underlies long-term toxicities, like insomnia, fatigue, cardiotoxicity ... So the fact that we're able to do that (lower inflammation) with this is really a pretty big deal."