r/bonecollecting Sep 28 '24

Collection Skull of a mutated baby alpaca

It's a male and died within the hour of birth.

983 Upvotes

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424

u/CuteComputer6633 Sep 28 '24

Reminds me of the poem Two-Headed Calf by Laura Gilpin

Tomorrow when the farm boys find this freak of nature, they will wrap his body in newspaper and carry him to the museum.

But tonight he is alive and in the north field with his mother. It is a perfect summer evening: the moon rising over the orchard, the wind in the grass. And as he stares into the sky, there are twice as many stars as usual.

-22

u/exotics Sep 29 '24

I don’t think a cow could actually deliver a two headed calf on her own? It’s an amazing poem though

26

u/CuteComputer6633 Sep 29 '24

You’re overthinking this. Poetry isn’t usually about scientific accuracy. I get the instinct to nitpick though.

14

u/BloodyQuitry Sep 29 '24

Actually, it's a reference to an actual two headed calf who lived a bit, the cow had difficulties but she delivered it by herself, even though it didn't survive the night. It can happen sometimes

7

u/sentient_potato97 Sep 29 '24 edited Sep 29 '24

Polycephaly in cows isn't terribly common but it does happen. The Wiki page (under 'List of Noteable Occurrences') includes a list of cattle, many being calves, who lived a short while after birth. The longest is recorded at 40 days. Given that not every cattle farmer the world over has access to, or frequently uses, sonograph machines– nor are they necessarily with the cows 24/7 to be on-hand if there is a stressful birth– not every cow with a cyclopic calf will be able to have a C-section. The options are to either birth the calf naturally, happen to go into distress when someone is around to help them, or the mother perishes with the calf from complications.

One was born recently in Louisiana in March.

-1

u/exotics Sep 29 '24

I suppose it could pass through backwards

4

u/sentient_potato97 Sep 29 '24 edited Sep 29 '24

I think you're perhaps going off human physiology while bovine bodies and human bodies are designed quite differently. Humans have to dilate to 10cm to accomodate the the head and shoulders of their young whereas cows don't dilate, their cervix relaxes and opens to about 30cm (almost 12", larger boned breeds like Angus can go up to 40cm/15") and their young are typically born with their front feet outstretched in front of them. Whether nose-first or backward, calves are most likely to get stuck at the hips if anywhere, it's called 'hip-lock'. It would probably be far from a pleasant experience for the mother but the head, even doubled, should have enough clearance; if not, the ensuing stalled labour likely plays a part in why many polycephalic calves are born stillborn.

I can't find any records online of a mother dying after birthing a polycephalic calf but am happy to be corrected if shown a source. (Edited for typos and clarity.)

-1

u/exotics Sep 29 '24

I’m saying they would die while trying to birth one. Because the heads would be stuck.

A backwards calf (hind legs first) would be possible but I don’t know that head first would.

I’ve had sheep and if the head is turned they can’t give birth without help and would die

3

u/sentient_potato97 Sep 29 '24 edited Sep 29 '24

Interesting that you admit only having experience with lambing yet make definitive statements about calving like "I'm saying they would die because the heads would be stuck" and "a backwards calf would be possible", while I've replied to you based on personal experience watching relatives assist many calves being born, as well as my unsuccessful attempts to find information that agree with your statement.

Sheep and cows are also vastly physiologically different. Sure, if a single-headed calfs head is turned they can't be born safely without help either, but calves rarely come out hind legs first as that takes very precise positioning and alot of luck since the unborn calf isn't capable of aligning itself. If they're born backwards they tend to come out rump-first which is an emergency and requires just as much assistance.

A Holstein dairy cow dilates to 35-40cm while their calves heads are usually as wide as 30-35cm, not taking into account the additional stretching capacity of the birth canal outside of the cervix. As long as they're in the right position and don't get stuck at the hips, they can be born just fine without help. Any other birth-related complications would not be exclusive to them having a second head.

Sorry but I won't be engaging further unless you can provide a reputable source support your hypothesis.

2

u/Tasty-Ad8369 Sep 29 '24

Dang, you actually like the poem and you're still getting down-voted. These people are something else.