Researchers discover two headed shark in the Gulf of Mexico

Back in April of 2011, a bizarre two headed shark was discovered in the Gulf of Mexico. The shark was a tiny bull shark that was discovered by fishermen in the uterus of an adult female shark near the Florida Keys. Researchers have now confirmed that this was an actual two-headed shark and not a conjoined twin.

Researchers from Michigan State University have said that the two-headed shark wouldn't have survived in the wild for long. Disgustingly, researchers from Michigan State University say that there have been reports of other sharks, specifically blue sharks, with two heads. However, this is the first time the two headed shark has been discovered among bull sharks.

Researchers investigating the bizarre shark used magnetic resonance imaging of the specimen to determine that the shark had two distinct heads, hearts, and stomachs. The remainder of the sharks body ended in a single tail. The researchers say that the condition is called axial bifurcation, and it can happen in humans as well.

The condition occurs when an embryo begins to split into two individual embryos, but stop splitting somewhere in the middle. The researchers do point out that while some people want to find a connection between the two-headed shark and the Gulf oil spill, there is no evidence to support that conclusion at this time. I lean more towards a fiendish plot by Dr. Evil to breed two headed sharks with lasers on their heads.

[via Nature World News]