Stunning photographs of animals inside womb

baby-elephantThese amazing embryonic animal photographs of dolphins, sharks, dogs, penguins, cats and elephants are from a new National Geographic Documentary called “Extraordinary Animals in the Womb”. The show’s producer, Peter Chinn, used a combination of three-dimensional ultrasound scans, computer graphics and tiny cameras to capture the process from conception to birth. They are the most detailed embryonic animal pictures ever seen.

baby-dolphin baby-puppy puppy-face baby-puppy-4 baby-puppy-3 baby-puppy-2 baby-penguin baby-penguin-2penguin-egg baby-shark If you would like to see more baby animal photos, you should take a look at these frozen semen test tube pandas.
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  1. Kate

    Wow this is amazing! Beautiful actually…

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  2. Sonya

    Elephant is so cute..all of them are so cute! :X

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  3. Killoxa

    Awww they're ADORABLE…?

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  4. Jacob

    There’s the small issue that fish and birds don’t ever exist in a womb… but other than that.

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  5. Steve

    Sharks and Dolphins do exist in the womb and are delivered. But I would say these are not all actual pictures since like the elephant is an awfully high up picture to be in the womb.

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  6. Pixzii

    Stunning images! thumbsup!

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  7. Samuel

    That’s why they are in eggs…

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  8. Peter

    Dolphins and sharks both give live birth, sharks are different because they hatch from eggs and then exit the mother, but live birth nonetheless.

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  9. Aston

    Ummm.. I believe the egg counts for the theme, and please check your resources on sharks and dolphins. but other than that.

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  10. Denny

    Except thats not a fish, it’s a shark and a dolphin, and those are a certain type of penguin. Loser.

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  11. Stella

    Haha these are actually all real. Apparently some one has never heard of 3D and 4D ultrasound.

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  12. Alex

    Haha idiot Sharks are fish!

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  13. Serious

    dolphins are mammals.

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  14. Noah

    Of course these images are computer generated. If we had the technology to see through things like wombs and other material with this level of detail the applications would be innumerable. Of course you and I would never know it existed because I’m sure that good ol’ uncle Sam would sanction the technology and make sure that no one knew it existed because this could be a danger to ourselves and its much better if only the government has the capabilities to look through your walls at home and watch you take a S*%t to make sure that you haven’t been to gluttonous lately and fine you if you have.

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  15. Carollina

    The penguin’s in an egg, mate. Dolphins and sharks are as stated before. Let’s be nice, folks; no need to resort to name calling.

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  16. Sasha

    Is this real? Do dolphins really have umbilical cords??

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  17. Christopher

    that’s the least real thing i’ve seen in a while. and i use the internet.

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  18. Kate

    I've just finished my degree in Animal Science, and this is definitely real – I've seen the actual show, it's not that recent, we watched it in Animal Breeding class last fall. These aren't 'shopped unless they faked the whole video, because on the actual program you see the video footage of the fetal animals moving and shifting in the womb. It also covers the various stages of their development – you see the elephant get larger, the trunk elongate, and the hair develop, you see the golden retriever puppy's fur and claws appear, you see everything. It's a really cool show.

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  19. Michelle

    If we can’t get clear pictures like that on a human pregnancy how are we expected to believe the perfect pictures above are real!
    As someone else mentioned, to get a pic as clear and perfect as that it would be like looking through walls!

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  20. Alessia

    Um you can see human pregnancies like this, it’s just incredibly expensive and the technology is rare, but my friend had it done, amazing.
    These are real haven’t you ever seen the pictures of babies in the womb, on discovery channel, etc, exactly like this.
    Btw, Dolphins are mammals, Sharks are fish and the penguin is quite clearly in an egg but penguins incubate their eggs in pouches above their feet, very like a womb. It’s stretching it but I think it’s a valid inclusion.

    Anyway, just enjoy these beautiful pictures already and stop bickering!

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  21. barph

    This is 100% real.The camera is not "looking through walls" like many of the comments are saying. These photos are taken with a scope that is actually inside the uterus.

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  22. AlexPeck

    none of them real… they say in the text they use 'computer graphics'…

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  23. Valentina

    There is no machine that can take pictures of the womb out like this out there right now. It is probably more likely that all of these animals are dead. Pictures were taken after the mother’s died for research.

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  24. Liz and Dan

    They DO have this technology for human embryos. But it is crazy expensive and unnecessary for diagnosis or treatment. So unless you're Brangelina you probably aren't going to get one.

    Here are some more pics from the documentary
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1077492/It-aint-half-snuggly-Mum-The-ground-breaking-pictures-animals-capturing-life-womb.html

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  25. Liz and Dan

    Actually, on further review, it seems that some of the images were made through computers and models. They were based upon the detailed information they got from the scans and cameras, but they are not directly the images from them.

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  26. vernontate

    pretty cool

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  27. Kateryna

    Im pretty sure Liz and Dan just came to an intelligent conclusion. These pictures were taken, redone, and modified to be more artistic. This type of thing is entirely possible without killing the mom or fetus first. So congrats to Liz and Dan for being educated on the subject and helping to stop immature arguments and name calling.

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  28. Terry

    the womb size must have been vastly enlarged to make these look good. Dags and cats ( i don't know about elephants)grow in an embrionic sac that is tightly fitted to their bodies, they aren't floating around like that star baby from 2001 A Space Oddessy. lol. still good recreations.

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  29. Ruby

    Clearly Photoshopped

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  30. dergins

    Yeah, im glad im pro life. human babies are beautiful too. especially in the womb

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  31. Ravi Srivastava

    nice picture

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  32. Nanna

    errrm. probably has been said before, but dolphins are NOT fish

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  33. Science

    really rare and wonderful pics.

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  34. Grace

    What, no inflammatory abortion comment yet?

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  35. Nino

    they used models and cgi for this documentary. The did a making of program on it. Get your facts right lol

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  36. Nate

    does anyone else find it odd that dogs are born without hair and yet in the womb they have hair? =))

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  37. Katie

    Dogs /are/ born with hair, Nate.

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  38. Alex

    Incredible….

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  39. DEEP SEN

    4D time-lapse confocal imaging will be one of the spectacular gifts for an artist inext decade.

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  40. Laura45

    Funny, how whether or not cgi is used anyone can tell what picture is an elephant and what picture is a dog. Even though the Thing in the womb is not FULLY developed(such as the dolphin) we still can tell what species is what species. Just goes to show you that a dolphin in the womb is a dolphin, an elephant in the womb is an elephant, A BABY IN THE WOMB IS A BABY!!!

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  41. Cammila

    Fake, and I only say this because I have never known of any dog or cat to have a single pup in the womb. However, fake or not, the images are awesome and provide an extraordinary insight.

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  42. Jaxter

    Amazing!! :)

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  43. Mia

    good lord, internet-people 9_9 I love how people who so obviously have no idea about the animals they’re talking about try to call out National Geographic about it.

    If you take note, the description said computer graphics were used. You could not get this clear of resolution with ANY form of simple imaging. There are many fluids within the uterus during pregnancy and you would not be able to rupture the fetal sacs without aborting the fetus (which I’m not saying they didn’t do, but I would hope they did not).

    They used a combination of techniques. They said this in the description. It is plain to see they used imaging technology and then enhanced the images with computer graphics.

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  44. Lila

    Funny how we all think these are cute, yet most Americans (North Americans) think it’s okay to abort an equally, cute human being. Think about it.

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  45. Mate

    So, since everyone else seems to have an opinion, here’s mine; These pictures were taken and enhanced for your enjoyment. Not to be criticized. If people would just realize that someone spent an enormous amount of time and effort to create these images for your viewing pleasure, there wouldn’t be so much pointless arguing. Enjoy the pictures, people. That’s what they’re here for.

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  46. Wiki

    Oh; And puppies are, in fact, born with hair. Haven’t you ever witnessed the miracle of a bitch giving birth? You should. You might learn something.

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  47. Amelia

    Not all Americans believe in abortion so stop generalizing. And It looks to me like these pictures may have been made with radar. They send the waves in and then receive them back (like an ultrasound) in order to get the shape and then they just make up their own color for each different wavelength received back. Its called a false color image. But who knows for sure?

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  48. Questionmaker

    I hope they didn't harm any of these animals or fetuses to get these pictures.

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  49. Dima

    They are pretty amazing, so hard to believe their real

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  50. Zahra

    so sweet!!!

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  51. Princess

    beautiful!

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  52. Harsha

    Simply amazing

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  53. George

    Everyone claiming that these are real live photos must be retarded, anyone claiming that these pictures are not real haven’t got the full picture either. It’s obvious that the team that put these pictures together did so based on very real data (from techniques like ultrasound and microcameras) and then used computer graphics to create these images BUT the images created are meant to represent what it is really like in the womb, not just guessing. So in a way they are real and at the same time their fakes, they kind of did take a photograph, but indirectly. However the technology to see through walls does exist, it’s just not been made widely available and again it just gives you data to extrapolate whats on the other side… not some magic glasses that actually let you look through. The technology is based exactly in the same way that ultrasound is based, but instead of high freq. sound other bands of the EM spectrum are used… so for instance, what do you think night vision goggles are? they are just infrared radiation detectors so you can see in the dark…. what type of EM radiation goes through walls? well… acually, about half of the spectrum so that gives you a hell of a lot of EM data to make a picture out of… those who don’t believ eme, i dont care, get an education and then believe yourselves, those who do… good.

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  54. Nikita

    WOW! quite breathtaking…

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  55. Brian Charles Clark

    It's OK to abort "cute" humans because there are so dang many of them. One more or less won't make a difference. As for eggs not being wombs, eggs are indeed a type of womb.

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  56. Pope

    the comments were more interesting than the pictures.

    the level of retardation on the internet is truly awe-inspiring :-L

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  57. Friday

    oh wow. a post designed to stir the emotions of right-wing anti-abortion nut jobs.

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  58. Kathy

    these are all pictures from national geographic series in the womb. they ARE NOT REAL. there is a disclaimer at the start of each episode stating that they are part models and cgi. no one watches informative tv anymore i guess.

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  59. Elay

    If it was real they’re all aborted, otherwise the thin membrane around the fetus wd be punctuated, causing severe damage to the life form. Let’s hope they R fake ’cause of that.

    ‘Wish no harm to anything peaceful’

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  60. Shota

    wow :D

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  61. Mr Oliver Newport

    Why do people care if they're fake or not. They're still fascinating and beautifully composed.

    The article never stated, 'THIS IS ENTIRELY REAL!' it stated that many 'techniques' were used.

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  62. Noah

    to imagine the amount of passion some people have towards animals in the womb – some even legally protected from harm, then sadly our own species are allowed to be murdered on a whim…

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  63. Thomas

    fabulous!!!

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  64. André Weigel

    Great pictures… thank you, for this blog post !

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  65. Sincere

    These photos are absolutely amazing. Thanks for sharing.

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  66. Yes

    this IS stunning

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  67. Jim

    There are photos like this of humans in the womb. I forget the type of photography it’s called, but Google it. (And no, it’s not 3D ultrasound–those don’t look very real, and they’re not actual cameras with lenses, as these are). Just because it’s incredible doesn’t mean it’s fake. And to the jackass who dissed America: if you hate it so much, get the hell out instead of wishing to change it by voting in Socialists with Communists czars hellbent on systematically destroying the economy.

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  68. Matt

    Gorgey!

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  69. gilles guillemette

    beautyful thank you .gilles g.

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  70. DogPerson

    some of these comments are really unintelligent…

    most sharks are ovoviviparous, but there are species that lay eggs.

    dolphins are mammals, and don’t lay eggs.

    puppies are born with fur, unless they are hairless.

    we have the technology to see inside the womb, its called an ultrasound.
    we also have 3D and 4D ultrasounds.

    although they don’t look as good as these images,
    but i’m sure these images were manipulated, but so what, many brilliant photographers edit their pictures, it doesn’t make them any less brilliant.

    and to the anti-abortion comment,
    that was completely uneccessary. idiot.

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  71. AnnMarie

    very nice work who CARES about all the other drivel! LOL

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  72. Antena

    OMG READ THE TEXT YOU IDIOTS!
    These are real photos edited with computer graphics.

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  73. kazu

    Wow!!These pictures are really pure and beautiful.
    I like them!

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  74. NGCGI

    Actually even if you read the text it’s wrong. Yes, they are from National Geographic, but they are all COMPUTER GENERATED! If you draw a picture on photoshop, it is computer generated. Therefore these are, for internet argument sake, SHOPPED

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  75. Adam

    “Of course these images are computer generated. If we had the technology to see through things like wombs and other material with this level of detail the applications would be innumerable…”

    Really? I mean, really people? Do your research before posting. Perhaps try reading a book or two.

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  76. zulieka

    pretty neat photos..cant figure the last one though! is that a shark?

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  77. Jake

    lovely!!!![:)] simply amazing!!![:)]

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  78. Jason

    they’re just pictures of just born animals with a background shopped in.

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  79. Susie

    Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!!!!!

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  80. sly_seb

    it is an amazeing site

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  81. sly_seb

    we all had tails in the woumb u kno

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  82. Akon

    I need to know where gluttonous is because anon said he’s going there and I want to go as well

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  83. Jeremy

    Beautiful images. Thanks for sharing it.

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  84. MrIbanez

    "There's the small issue that fish and birds don't ever exist in a womb… but other than that."

    thats wrong about fish, some cartilaginous fish such as hammerhead sharks do give birth to live young, meaning that the embryo does develop inside a "womb"

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  85. Sid

    we all start out as cell (egg)and to my understanding that has been the way from the beginning and we do have the technology to take these type of photos
    jm

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  86. Ivette

    Very intriguing, and somehow it's easier for me to see these than a human fetus.

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  87. Jason

    Wow, I wasn’t expecting such a funny and controversial discussion under these amazing photos. When I first looked at these last night, it didn’t really enter my mind to wonder as to whether they were photoshopped or not. I’d say regardless of how these images were created, there’s a truth in them. They’re beautiful, as beautiful as any image taken of the stars or galaxies or nature. It’s another perspective on the world that helps us to better understand ourselves by deepening our complexity of what we see. I would hope these photos foster awe and compassion for all life, multiple jewel sentences. Breathtaking…

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  88. Kim Randall

    Amazing images! Thank you for sharing these

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  89. Scotty

    These are simply stunning. I find it interesting how detailed they are, and quite educational!

    Also, to be immature: heheh penguin butt!

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  90. Simon

    Wow !! Unbelievable !! Way Too Cool !!

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  91. Mike

    These aren’t animals, they’re “masses of cells.”

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  92. sarahmargeurite

    Who cares if this is completely legit or not? Regardless of if they're actual photographs, this IS what these animals look like in the womb/egg. And it's beautiful. Made me cry, actually. ;;)

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  93. Angela

    LOVE IT <3 :X. LOVE animals sooooooooo much, there like my life

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  94. Sonya

    That people think these, or human babies, are ‘cute’, isn’t a good enough reason to keep the babies. Mind you, many fetuses haven’t proceeded to this stage before most people abort. If everyone who got pregnant kept their baby, I think pro-lifers wouldn’t be so confident in their assertions, which are just opinions. Often, the people who decide to abort are ill-equipped to carry, deliver, and/or care for the baby, economically, emotionally, mentally, or time-wise. Or they’re too young or too old. They could give it away, but sometimes it may be out of the question to birth the child; they may be living in a social situation where they and heir baby could be harmed as a result. Of course, forethought could prevent the majority of these situations, but even with forethought and planning, things happen. See past your world, people. It is the only thing that can save us.

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  95. streetlevelchicago

    These are beautiful and haunting. It's a good thing, I like being haunted.

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  96. gogreen55555

    Wow! :-o This is totally amazing! How do they get these pictures?? That is really amazing!

    :) );));;):D;);):p:):X:-o:-*8-}:)]:-t x(

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  97. Olivera Katarina

    Amazing! :) (

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  98. Jack

    Go to the website. It says they’re computer-generated pics. Even some cool pics of the models they used to re-create the embryonic process. Just goes to show how gullible or hopeful some people are without doing research. fyi, new ultrasound and digital camera techniques can be used to get photos close to this quality, but the embryo is more compacted and appears squished inside the uterus, and pups have other pups of the litter surrounding them. if there was that much fluid to let an elephant trunk float freely in the embryonic sac, the mommy elephant couldn’t walk from the huge back of fluid dragging on the ground.

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  99. barph

    Oops. I take back my earlier comment. I'm a fool.

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  100. Timmy

    Ridiculous. You idiots need to get lives. This was done to gain an understanding….not to commence some idiotic argument about what is real and what isn’t. Morons.

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  101. Anonom

    “The show’s producer, Peter Chinn, used a combination of three-dimensional ultrasound scans, “COMPUTER GRAPHICS,” and tiny cameras to capture the process from conception to birth.”

    I hope the quotes and caps cleared it up for some of you idiots.

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  102. Timmy

    Baby Sharks <3<3<3

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  103. Yosef

    wishes people would get a life and stop being so politically correct. it doesn’t matter whether or not they’re shopped (as a few people have mentioned earlier) people who make rude remarks ARE shopped, so go back and have a think about what you have just said, and THEN return with a comment that isn’t judgemental.

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  104. pacman

    These have been photo shipped. Fake…

    Elephants don't have a nose until 3 days before delivery.

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  105. Chris Ronk

    How on earth did they take those crazy photo's?

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  106. Shota

    I work as a freelance sculptor/model maker and actually worked on this program. I hate to burst all of your bubbles but absolutely none of these is real. They are either CGI or models placed in fake wombs. We must’ve done a pretty good job though ’cause you lot totally fell for it! :) )

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  107. Ed Wynn

    These are photoshopped.

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  108. Dude

    Who’s to say the elephant picture wasn’t taken three days before delivery ? and who cares if the photos were shopped ? i certainly don’t. they’re merely for people to enjoy. they’re cute, and interesting. stop ruining it for everyone. even if they were shopped, they portrayed the image of the baby in the womb spectacularly so cut the guy some slack. it’s a creative idea and i highly doubt anyone of you could “shop” a photo in this way.

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  109. Gain

    Wow, the comments on this page are hilarious! Thanks for the laugh! My personal favorite is the one about elephants not having trunks until three days before birth!!! My day is off to an awesome start. Thanks again!

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  110. lors

    these are not real animals. they are made of silicone. i’ve seen a documentary about it on tv and the creator showed all the objects again, explaining how he used the light, camera etc. he said though that they were very close to reality.

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