Weird-Looking Carrot

She's been dubbed The Baby Whisperer for helping hordes of women realise their dreams of starting a family against medical odds. Now it seems acupuncturist Yvonne Darnell, 46, has used her special skills to give life to one of her own carrots - which bears an uncanny resemblance to an angel-faced alien. The 'Sussex Stork' dug up the unusual legume from her Burgess Hill garden.

Fox Sliding Down Conveyor Belt!

A disused gravel quarry became a playground for a young fun-loving fox and his family. This photograph, taken by British man Duncan Usher, shows how the clever four-month-old creature turned an old conveyor belt into a make-shift slide, before travelling down it twice. Mr Usher photographed the amusing sight close to Bursfelde, a hamlet in the German countryside.

The 56-year-old, who now lives in Bursfelde, said: 'One morning I arrived at the quarry and saw from a distance two young foxes playing on the conveyor belt. One ran back to the top of the conveyor belt and then started to walk back down it, stopped and sat down.After a few seconds it started to slide down the conveyor belt using its front paws to drag it forwards. They were attracted to the conveyer belt because it was a playground to them. I have not seen this type of behaviour amongst free living wild animals and I was really surprised and pleased to witness and capture this unusual event. I had to react quickly and knew that the chances of getting a decent image was slight. I thought the odds were really against me but that morning fortune was on my side.'

Mr Usher, orginally from Allendale, Northumberland, spent three weeks at the quarry before he managed to capture the elusive foxes at play. He said: 'Obviously my determination paid off in the end. It was really a combination of repeatedly going back to the same spot and patience. I knew from past photographic experience that if I remained persistent, something unusual or worthwhile can, or may happen. A large portion of luck also helped.'

New Vicious Wasp Discovered In Indonesia

It sounds like the stuff of nightmares - a wasp that supplements a vicious sting with jaws longer than its front legs.  But this is a very real newly discovered warrior wasp found on the remote Indonesian island of Sulawesi.  Dubbed the 'Komodo dragon' of the wasp family, the males of the species measure two-and-a-half inches long.

The warrior wasp was found on the remote Indonesian island of Sulawesi. It has been named 'Garuda' after the part-human, part-eagle mythical beast 

Humans Evolve From "MOUSE"

A mouse-like creature that scurried about in bushes and trees 160 million years ago gave rise to humans, say scientists. The small, furry placental mammal lived in what is now north east China during the Jurassic era when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Its remarkably well preserved remains were dug up in the fossil-rich region of Liaoning Province which has also produced ancient evidence of feathered dinosaurs and primitive birds.

Bald Chicken!

It was one of 2,000 chicks born on a remote farm... but this is the bird that caused a real flap. Mr Feather, as he's been cruelly dubbed, won't feel cock-a-hoop though. That's because the poor chicken was born completely bald - and has remained so ever since.

"Stop staring at my naked body!"

Parasite Makes Rats Sexually Attracted To Cats!

A parasite that turns rats into zombies and manipulates them into losing their fear of cats has been uncovered by scientists. Cat urine normally acts as natural deterrent to rodents, who are keen to keep their distance from their natural predators. But researchers found that Toxoplasma-infected male rats exposed to cat urine suffered an increased activation in the brain regions involved in sexual attraction. At the same time, the brain regions that govern fear were paralysed, as expected.

 

Oldest Fossil Is Bacteria

Experts claim to have found the world’s oldest fossils. According to British and Australian researchers, the microscopic bacteria lived some 3.43billion years ago in a hot, hostile environment free of oxygen. The creatures are believed to have thrived on the sulphur spewed out by volcanoes – making them similar to the modern bugs that can make our bathroom drains less than fragrant.

Old timers: The microscopic fossils were formed from bacteria that lived 3.4 billion years ago

Their fossils, which are too small to see with the naked eye, were found nestled between grains of sand on the world’s oldest beach in Strelley Pool, in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia.Lead researcher Dr David Wacey, of the University of Western Australia, said: ‘On the early Earth, where oxygen was rare or absent, evolving life had to employ other means to survive.

'The ability to breathe sulphur compounds has long been thought to be one of the earliest stages of transition from a non-biological to a biological world.’ 

Some experts are adamant that the world’s oldest fossils are stromatolites, which have existed for 3.5billion years, but Professor Martin Brasier of the University of Oxford said they could have been formed through chemical processes. By contrast, tests on the new discoveries confirmed they were once alive, and not merely formed through mineralisation, the journal Nature Geoscience reports. Professor Brasier suggested that the findings open the possibility of finding early life elsewhere. ‘Could these sort of things exist on Mars? It’s just about conceivable,’ he said.

Smallest Chicken Egg!

A West Virginia man is laying claim to one of the world's smallest chicken eggs. Whether it's a record remains to be seen. The Reverand Donnie Russell said he found the egg last month on his farm.  It's 2.1 centimetres long, or a bit bigger than a penny, and weighs 3.46 grams - a little more than one-tenth of an ounce.

'It's really something. If you want to know the truth, I can't put it into words,' Mr Russell said.

Mr Russell, of Raleigh County, said his wife is an animal lover and she's collected cats, geese, ducks, chickens and other types of birds over the years.

Which Comes First: Chicken Or Egg?

It is an age-old riddle that has perplexed generations: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Now British scientists claim to have finally come up with the definitive answer: The chicken. 

The scientific and philosophical mystery was purportedly unraveled by researchers at Sheffield and Warwick universities, according to the Daily Mail newspaper. The scientists found that a protein found only in a chicken's ovaries is necessary for the formation of the egg, according to the paper Wednesday. The egg can therefore only exist if it has been created inside a chicken. The protein speeds up the development of the hard shell, which is essential in protecting the delicate yolk and fluids while the chick grows inside the egg, the report said.

Chickenosaurus

Scientists have undone the progress made by evolution by altering chicken DNA to create embryos with alligator-like snouts instead of beaks. Experts changed the DNA of chicken embryos in the early stage of their development, enabling them to undo evolutionary progress and give the creatures snouts which are thought to have been lost in the cretaceous period millions of years ago. The scientific revelation of 'rewinding' evolution could pave the way for scientists altering DNA in the other direction and use the same process to create species better able to adapt to Earth's climate.

Newly Discovered Living Fossil

A new species of eel has been discovered which is so old that it retains its dinosaur-era characteristics and has been branded a 'living fossil'. The eel was found in a cave beneath the Pacific Ocean in the Republic of Palau, which is around 500 miles east of the Philippines. The reddish brown eel is just 1.7 inches long and has many of the hallmarks of the primitive eels of the Mezozoic era - some 200million years ago.

Creepy Crawlers In Your House

You know they're there when holes appear in your favourite woolly jumper. But you don't often get a close-up look at the millions of creepy crawlies that lurk in your wardrobes, nest in your carpet and scoff through your food. These 150-times zoomed 3D photographs show the insects that are rife throughout your house during the summer months.

A bug's life: 'Macro' photographer Stephen Gschmeissner used a scanning electron micrograph to create this 3D image of a common furniture beetle emerging from a wooden hole

Sand Penguins Help Real Penguins Feel Less Lonely

Penguins may not be used to sand - after all, the icy conditions of the Antarctic are very far from sunny beaches. But this group is feeling right at home now that they have been given company in the form of sand-sculptures of their fellow penguins. The sculptures were created by an artist in order to console the birds after the departure of another group to whom they had become attached.

Blending in: The penguins at the Sea Life Park in Weymouth are delighted by their new neighbours

And the 11 Humboldt penguins who live at the Sea Life Park in Weymouth, Dorset, are now entertaining visitors by trying to befriend the fake birds. The penguins had been joined temporarily by a group of Gentoo penguins earlier this year while they were in transit.

A Woman With TWO Wombs

An Indian woman with two wombs has given birth to two sons - one from each uterus. Delighted mother Rinku Devi delivered her one-in-fifty-million babies last Friday in the northern city of Patna. Stunned doctors said giving birth to healthy babies conceived in different ovaries is so rare an average of one case is reported each year anywhere in the world. Rinku, 28, believed she was carrying twins but had no idea of her medical condition, known as uterus didelphys, or double uterus.

Earth Had TWO Moons

Earth may once have had two moons - the one that shines at night today and a smaller companion, according to a new theory. A slow-motion collision between the two is believed to have created the mountainous highlands on the moon's far side, as debris from the second, smaller moon piled up. The side of the moon facing the Earth and the side facing away have strikingly different topographies.

Before the collision: Earth may once have had two moons - the one that shines at night today and a smaller companion. While the near side is relatively low and flat, the far side is high and mountainous with a much thicker crust.

How Flowers Get Their Names

Ever wonder why a Lilac is called a Lilac or a Hyacinth a Hyacinth? Here are the stories behind flower names.

• The flower, “Begonia,” is named for Michel Begon, an official in French King, Louis XIV’s court and later governor of Canada.
• The flower, “Camellia,” is presumed to be named after the “Lady of the Camellias,” a 19th century French courtesan and the heroine of Dumas’ novel.
• The botanical name of the tall, slender flower, “Foxglove,” is “Digitalis.”  It’s named for the Latin word, “digitus,” which means “finger.”
• Narcissus, another name for a Daffodil, is named for the Greek God who was exquisitely beautiful, saw his image in a pond, and fell in love with it, forsaking all others.
• The “Lilac” bush is named for the Persian word for “blue.” Today, Lilacs are available in white, purple, and magenta as well as blue.
• Hyacinth is named for a Greek gay legend. He was a beautiful boy, loved by the God, Apollo. When he was killed, the flower sprung up in his place as a memorial to him.
• Lupines, prevalent in the western U.S., are named for the Latin word for “wolf.”  It was originally thought to be a predator, just like the wolf.
• The Primrose, that colorful, early spring bloomer, is named after the Latin words for “first rose” because it appears so early in the season.
• A large Hydrangea bush will drink up to twelve gallons of water per day.  That’s why it’s named from the Greek word for water, “hydro.”
• The popular, sun-loving, annual Marigolds are named after the Virgin Mary.  They were once popular as altar flowers during mass.

Colorful Ants

Ant: "Yipee! Taste like rainbow!"

The saying 'you are what you eat' is true for these insects as stunning pictures show their abdomens changing colour as they sip on sugar drops. Father of three Mohamed Babu set up the photographs after his wife, Shameem, showed him some ants had turned white after drinking spilt milk. He gave the creatures the brightly coloured sugar drops and watched as their transparent stomachs matched the food they were eating.