Residents of Oklahoma found a mysterious hard sac-like ‘egg’ hanging from the tree roots at the lake, but scientists are now calming the locals, who immediately jumped to conclusions of alien proportions, by explaining that it’s an ancient creature
These creatures have found the right space and environment, so its likely they’ll be around a lot this summer.
Locals in Oklahoma discovered large, jelly-like sacs with a hard exterior hanging from tree roots; they immediately thought the answer was extraterrestrial. Or at least not good news.
But scientists, reassuring the public, have said that the locals in the area got a rare treat – the glimpse of the reproductive system of an ancient animal that’s been around since before the dinosaurs.
Immediately, locals put it up online, and spectators began commenting on the extraterrestrial-looking eggs. But scientists say that the creatures were simple bryozoans. They’ve been around for hundreds of millions of years, before the first dinosaurs roamed the planet. The animals may actually be good news for the lake.
These bizarre creatures are actually hundreds of tiny bryozoans.
Officials reassured the public that the animals are absolutely supposed to be there
Bryozoans clone themselves into large masses to filter tiny particles out of the water for food, cleaning up the lake. The critters normally reside in ponds and lakes. This time, it was found in McGee Creek Reservoir, located on the southwest edge of the Ouachita Mountain Range.
Bryozoan clumps aren’t an egg or just one animal at all. They form this hard shell as they are hundreds of creatures banded together. The pods, known as zooids, are each a fraction of a millimeter long. They lack any respiratory or circulatory systems, but their central nerve ganglion allows the animal to respond to stimuli.
These pods are hanging from tree roots, and actually help clean the lake
The tiny invertebrates possess both male and female reproductive organs, allowing them to self-clone and spread through clumps of cells on the organism known as statoblasts.
Each statoblast can reproduce asexually. They do this by breaking off from a colony, allowing the animal to reproduce rapidly if the space and the weather are suitable. The animals eat phytoplankton and bacteria lurking in water.
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Fossil records suggest they may have evolved from an ancient marine worm. Their grandparents, ancient bryozoans, date back as far as 470 million years. For perspective, dinosaurs came around 245 million years ago.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) shared the photos on social media. “What is that??? If you’re out boating somewhere like McGee Creek Reservoir you may notice these strange jelly-like balls hanging from submerged tree limbs,” begins the post.
“These are Bryozoans, and they’ll likely show up in large numbers this summer. Don’t be alarmed these microorganisms are native and are of no danger to you or wildlife. In fact, they are an indicator of good environmental quality and clear water!”
Woman Who Is Allegedly Having an Affair With Prince William Speaks Out on the Rumors
Amid swirling rumors around the health of the Princess of Wales and her absence, a new shocking report has surfaced alleging that Prince William is having an affair. Here’s what we know about it and the mystery woman.
Kate’s long disappearance.
Speculation about Prince William’s fidelity has come into the spotlight once again. On an episode of The Late Show, host Stephen Colbert mentioned, «The kingdom has been all fluttered by the seeming disappearance of Kate Middleton… Kate’s absence may be related to… William, having an affair.» The conversation didn’t stop there, as he added, «The other alleged woman is — The Marchioness of Cholmondeley… there have been rumors of an affair since 2019.» This has reignited conversations about the royal couple’s private life.
«According to tabloids back then, when Kate supposedly confronted him about it, he laughed it off, saying there was nothing to it. Always a good response when your wife accuses you of cheating,» he continued.
The allegations run deep.
In April 2019, there were quiet talks about Prince William and Rose Hanbury. People whispered that William might not have been loyal to Kate, especially after a supposed falling out between Kate and Rose. The gossip came back into the spotlight when the palace didn’t share why Kate was in the hospital.
Kate has been resting away from the public eye since she left the hospital. The royal household said she won’t be back to her royal responsibilities until Easter is over. Rose, a former model who is married to David Cholmondeley and has three kids, is closely connected to the royal family. Her grandmother was a bridesmaid at Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding, and her son was part of King Charles III’s coronation ceremony.
Back in 2019, a magazine claimed there was an affair, which shocked the high society. Kate seemed to be uneasy with William’s public behavior and kept her distance from Rose, which made people think there was a problem.
Rose has finally spoken on the matter.
Lady Rose Hanbury, 40, addressed the whispers about her and Prince William recently. The mother of 3 made a public statement via her lawyers denying the rumors saying the rumors of her having an affair with William «are completely false.»
A recent photo shared by Kate became a huge topic of controversy. Check it out here.
Preview photo credit Wojciech Olkusnik/East News, IAN VOGLER/AFP/East News, PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
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