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Bai Yun's Thermal Images Revealed

Posted by Jeroen Jacobs | Date: 2011 06 14 | In: San Diego Zoo

BY-8-Jun-2011-09

On June 1 we performed Bai Yun’s first thermal image of this year, pictured at right. (To view in larger format, just click on the image.)

To orient those who aren’t familiar with this kind of imaging, Bai Yun’s head is out of the picture to the left, her tail to the right of these frames. There is a “hot spot” in the upper right of the June 1 image that was caused by sunlight shining down onto Bai Yun’s abdomen. This is not reflective of internal activity, and we will ignore it.

One week later we saw a very different image. Note the widely dispersed red heat signature in two semi-circular shapes around a central dark blue cool spot (around her belly button). These red areas represent the area of Bai Yun’s uterus. The increase in blood flow to the uterus is a signal that Bai Yun has reached the point in her pregnancy or pseudopregnancy when the uterus is preparing to receive an embryo.

Watch for more thermal images over the coming months.

Barbara Durrant, director of reproductive physiology at the San Diego Zoo

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