Uncovering the Mysteries of the Lake in Oklahoma

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

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.

a egg sac looking creature

These bizarre creatures are actually hundreds of tiny bryozoans.

egg sac looking creature

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.

floating pod-like creatures below the surface of the water

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!”

Hilarious clip from a long-lost episode of The Carol Burnett Show

This hilarious clip from a long-lost episode of The Carol Burnett Show starring Tim Conway and Harvey Korman hasn’t been seen in aImost 40 years.

It’s brief, but it’s long enough to make anyone giggle.

The Carol Burnett Show was one of America’s most successful series during its first run, which lasted from 1967 through 1978. It has been on numerous «Best/Greatest TV Shows of All Time» lists and was consistentIy among the top 30 most-watched shows each season.

Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, two of the most well-known comedians of all time, were regulars on the show. Despite the fact that they were not a comic partnership Iike Abbott and Costello, they were frequently used in skits due to their popularity with viewers.

Tim dresses up as a lady in this episode, which is only available on DVD, and he and Harvey go undercover as a couple. Tim warns Harvey not to hold her too closely, but Harvey insists that they must appear to be a reaI pair in order to complete the task.

Tim concurs, adding it’s great as long as they remain professional. Now it becomes very funny: Harvey can’t fathom why Tim would assume this was for anything other than work.

Tim then flicks his hair like the comedic genius that he is, causing both performers to break character and giggle, though they try to keep it in as much as they can. The audience isn’t much assistance either; everyone in the studio was Iaughing at this point.

Harvey combs his bangs before pulling out his compact powder and rubbing it on his mustache and chin, making everyone, including Harvey, laugh even harder.

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