Astounding images have emerged of a dolphin with a pair of hook-shaped “thumbs” protruding from its fins that have both fascinated and amazed researchers.
The rare encounter took place in July when researchers from the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute came across a striped dolphin with the strange deformities in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece.
Alexandros Frantzis, the institute’s scientific coordinator and president, took the photos of the animal’s unique morphology.
Frantzis told LiveScience that in the thirty years he has been researching and monitoring stranded dolphins in Greece, this is the first time such an anomaly has been observed in the open sea.
Beautiful images were taken of a dolphin with two hook-shaped “thumbs” protruding from its fins
The peculiar flipper can be attributed to rare and irregular genes resulting from continuous interbreeding within the isolated population
Despite the unusual appearance of its fins, the dolphin seemed to have no problems integrating into its pod and showed typical behavior such as swimming, jumping and playing with other dolphins.
This led Frantzis to suspect that the strange deformity could not be a sign of illness or malaise.
Instead, he said the peculiar fin is due to rare and irregular genes resulting from continued interbreeding within the isolated population of about 1,300 striped dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth.
Experts confirmed his theory and suspected that the defect was due to an altered genetic program during the dolphin’s development as a calf, as the quirk appeared to affect both fins.
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Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
