Siamese birds

An incredibly rare set of conjoined twin birds, attached at the hip, were found earlier this week in White County, Arkansas. The Arkansas game & Fish Commission is sending the barn swallows to the Smithsonian Institution for further examination. No photo in the Associated Press article. Form the AP:

While conjoined twins have been documented in humans, other mammals and reptiles, finding conjoined birds is difficult, as they likely die before being discovered, (Arkansas Game & Fish Commission ornithologist Karen) Rowe said. X-rays of the pair found each bird was fully formed, Rowe said. Scientists at the Smithsonian will examine the birds to determine whether they were fraternal twins or identical twins.

Rowe said the birds would have had to come from a double-yolk egg.

Siamese birds (Associated Press, thanks Jennifer Lum!)

[#1 posted by palindromic , July 18, 2008 4:51 PM]

Hopefully they snapped a few shots of it alive, and maybe a small movie or two. And hopefully someone will upload said images :)

[#2 posted by insect_hooves , July 18, 2008 4:56 PM]

We must show, once and for all, that sometimes only one stone is necessary -- for science!

[#3 posted by jonathon212 , July 18, 2008 5:01 PM]

Re: Rowe said the birds would have had to come from a double-yolk egg.

I know she's a bird-ologist, but I think Rowe misfired with an offhanded comment.

Co-joined twins occur after conception, when the fertilized nucleus splits in two and for some reason fails to totally separate. As would be the case with identical or maternal (monozygotic) twins

Double-yolked eggs happen all the time in unfertilized chicken eggs. If fertilized, the chicks would be fraternal, not identical, twins, since it would take two sets of sperm to fertalize each yolk (nucleus).

I suppose it's possible that the twins could have merged back together, but far more likely that they were identical twins

[#4 posted by Takuan , July 18, 2008 5:10 PM]

"bird-ologist"! Pfftt! Everybody knows its "bird-doctor-science-guy" ...jeez!

[#5 posted by Cpt. Tim , July 18, 2008 5:29 PM]

using Siamese to mean conjoined is generally viewed as derogatory these days.

[#6 posted by Anonymous , July 18, 2008 6:02 PM]

Well, "conjoined" is insulting to the many millions of fine Convict-Americans.

[#7 posted by Daemon , July 18, 2008 6:14 PM]

She's an ornithopter.

[#8 posted by zuzu , July 18, 2008 6:19 PM]

using Siamese to mean conjoined is generally viewed as derogatory these days.

Yes, it's highly offensive to the citizens of Siam.

[#9 posted by Miss Cellania , July 18, 2008 7:44 PM]

I don't think fraternal conjoined twins are possible.

[#10 posted by EH , July 18, 2008 11:18 PM]

pics or it didn't happen

[#11 posted by nikkesen , July 19, 2008 6:32 AM]

Seriously, why are there no pics?

[#12 posted by Gemma , July 19, 2008 7:06 AM]

Perhaps they're waiting out the bidding war before selling the pics?

[#13 posted by mdhatter , July 19, 2008 8:09 AM]

Point at me and laugh. I actually thought these birds were found in Siam.

[#14 posted by Takuan , July 19, 2008 8:38 AM]

where is honorable birds,if you don't please?
http://l.yimg.com/img.movies.yahoo.com/ymv/us/img/hv/photo/movie_pix/walt_disney/lady_and_the_tramp/ladyandthetramp3.jpg

[#15 posted by Rolltide , July 19, 2008 12:11 PM]

My brother found these birds and you can see pics at thedailycitizen.com

[#16 posted by Antinous , July 19, 2008 2:01 PM]

More specific links to bird pic.