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Yes. In February 2021, Indonesian fisherman Abdullah Nuren found a preserved shark foetus with an unusually human-like appearance. Its identity and the cause of its unusual features were never conclusively established, so it is more accurate to describe it as an abnormal-looking shark foetus than as a confirmed mutant or a new species.
What the fisherman reportedly found
Nuren, 48, was fishing near Rote Ndao in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, when a pregnant shark was caught in his net. Reports say he opened the shark the following day and found three foetuses. Two appeared typical; the third had large eyes positioned toward the front or underside of its head and a mouth that gave it a face-like appearance.
The East Nusa Tenggara Nature Conservation Centre reportedly measured the foetus at about 20 cm long and about 300 g in 2021. Staff said they saw it preserved in alcohol.
Why it looked human-like
The unusual impression came from the position and appearance of the eyes, together with the shape of the mouth. Professor Qiu Jianwen of Hong Kong Baptist University noted that ordinary shark eyes sit on the sides of the skull, unlike the reported forward-facing or underside placement in this specimen. A resemblance to a human face is a visual description, not evidence of a human-shark hybrid.
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Was it a mutant or a new shark species?
“Mutated” is not a confirmed diagnosis in this case. The specimen’s appearance was abnormal, but that alone does not establish a genetic mutation, explain what caused the difference, or show that it belonged to a new species. Qiu said that its species could not be determined without physically examining it. The published accounts cited here do not establish that such an examination identified the animal.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Could it have had cyclopia?
Cyclopia is a developmental defect in which the eye structures do not separate or form normally. It was suggested as one possible explanation for the foetus’s unusual eye area, but it was not confirmed by a published examination. Another possibility raised in accounts of the find was that the foetus was underdeveloped and might have looked more typical had development continued. The available accounts do not resolve which explanation, if either, is correct.
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The foetus was reported dead, and one account suggested that a severe developmental abnormality would make survival unlikely. That is an inference, not a documented finding about this animal’s survival prospects from a necropsy.
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