An elephant foetus taken at 16 weeks. The trunk has developed and it is plumpish towards the rear.
Posted on 11/22/2006 6:51:50 AM PST by beaversmom
An unborn elephant, tiny but perfect in every way. A dolphin swimming in the womb, just as it will have to swim in the ocean the moment it is born. An unborn dog panting.
Each one amazing and now, thanks to these remarkable pictures, they can be seen for the first time. Using an array of technology, the images reveal what until now has been a secret - exactly how animals develop in the womb. They were created by the same team who in 2004 showed how human embryos "walk in the womb".
Using a combination of three-dimensional ultrasound scans, computer graphics and tiny cameras, the team were able to show the entire process from conception to birth.
"These kind of images from inside animals have never been seen before," said Jeremy Dear of Pioneer Productions, who made the film.
"We worked with dozens of zoos and animal sanctuaries across the world. There were a lot of different challenges - recording a dolphin is very different from an elephant, for instance.
"Animals were trained to sit still near the scanners and we also inserted cameras into the womb via the elephant's rectum-But it has been worth it. It one sequence we follow an elephant developing. When it is finally born, there is not a dry eye in the house.
"The images in the film are a testament to the ingenuity and patience of the production team led by Yavar Abbas and Dr David Barlow, who worked with some of the world's leading vets to obtain these pictures."
The images were created for the programme Animals In The Womb, a two-hour show to be broadcast on the National Geographic Channel in America next month and on Channel 4 and the National Geographic Channel in the UK next year.
Researchers used scans to track elephant calves developing for almost two years in the womb - the longest gestation period of all mammals.
It shows at 16 weeks the elephant foetus starting to look more like an elephant as the trunk develops.
At almost a year, the trunk is longer than the legs, and by 14 months, the characteristic elephant ears are visible. They will eventually grow to almost two feet across to help regulate the body temperature of the fullymature-elephant. At birth, he will weigh nearly 260lb and be able to take his first steps in minutes.
Animals closer to home were also studied. A golden retriever foetus is shown exhibiting some of the same behaviour as family pets, panting with its tongue out, while still in the womb.
Programme makers also reveal the moment at eight weeks when a baby dolphin learns to swim while in the womb. During the next few weeks, it develops flippers, a tail and a blowhole before being born after a year, and must be able to quickly swim to the surface to take its first breath of air.
Experts also found that at 24 days, the dolphin embryo develops tiny leg-like buds, which then disappear over the next two weeks.
After 11 weeks, the dolphin embryo's fins display bone structures resembling human hands, which experts believe may show that dolphin ancestors were land dwellers.
The footage also shows how many animal embryos are like human ones.
"The incredible thing about the early images is how we all look very similar - it is obviously we humans share a common mammalian ancestry very early in life," said Mr Dear.
An elephant foetus taken at 16 weeks. The trunk has developed and it is plumpish towards the rear.
absolutely amazing pictures! thanks for posting this! :)
Using a combination of three-dimensional ultrasound scans, computer graphics and tiny cameras, the team were able to show the entire process from conception to birth.
You're welcome. I was surprised it wasn't already posted. I love stuff like this.
Try aborting the 'fetus' of your pet (you as the owner/guardian are empowered to 'choose' for your pet, aren't you?), and you will see the Left go bonkers. Maybe then they'll start respecting unborn human beings as well. I can dream can't I?
Magnificent and stunning.
Our God is an awesome God.
it's truly amazing the pics are so clear.
none of my ultrasounds were that clear. :(
Hee hee, did they have any baby beaver images, beaversmom? ;)
This is so neat. I have friends, pro-choice sadly, who took a passing interest in foetal development when I got pregnant, and were soooo surprised to see how "human" human babies are even at seven weeks.
Maybe this technology will have an effect on those who have so much more sympathy for our animal companions than our fellow human beings. Will they be able to draw the parallels? Who knows, I hope so.
Using a combination of three-dimensional ultrasound scans, computer graphics and tiny cameras, the team were able to show the entire process from conception to birth.
Wouldn't that be neat if we could have had all that?
At six months in the womb...
...wow. Our God is an awesome God.
The irony of this is too much to bear.
oh yes! i would have loved just one clear shot like those,
at any point along the line. technology has come a long
way even since my last...5 yrs ago.
I hope so too. I've already forwarded these pics to friends/acquaintances--some are pro-abort. Hee hee, did they have any baby beaver images, beaversmom? ;)
Not that I know of but I bet they would be cute if they did :)
Here in NC, I like to threaten the pro-aborts with a trip to the beach to make some turtle egg omelets. After all, they're just fetuses, you know, unviable tissue masses. Mmmmmm
/sarcasm
It occurs to me that the tree-hugging, save-the-whales crowd is going to have to take a whole new look at baby people inside the womb now that these photos and videos are available.
bookmark
"Be a hero, save a whale; save a baby, go to jail."
I remember when it really crystalized for me. About six years ago, there was this uproar in the fashion circles. Apparently, all these rich women were facing jail time because they'd bought these extremely high-end, uber expensive wool scarves that as it turned out were made from the pelts of unborn baby goats. Since these scarves originated in Afghanistan, there was some sort of international animal cruelty charge.
All these animal rights nuts were demanding their heads because these poor unborn baby goats were being forcibly aborted and turned into fashion statements.
Not a peep, though, about all those unborn baby humans being forcibly removed from their mothers. The hypocrisy was just jaw dropping.
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