Odd News Roundup: Japanese get trained in 'Hollywood' smiles as masks slowly come off; Scientists find crocodile 'virgin birth' at Costa Rica zoo

The female American crocodile laid 14 eggs in 2018 within her enclosure, a not uncommon phenomenon among captive reptiles. The more puzzling fact, however, came after three months of incubation when one egg was found to contain a fully formed stillborn baby crocodile.

Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.

Japanese get trained in 'Hollywood' smiles as masks slowly come off

In one of Keiko Kawano's recent classes, more than a dozen Tokyo art school students held mirrors to their faces, stretching the sides of their mouths upward with their fingers: they were practising how to smile. It's not something most people would think to pay for but Kawano's services as a smile instructor are seeing a surge in demand in Japan, where mask-wearing was near universal during the pandemic.

Scientists find crocodile 'virgin birth' at Costa Rica zoo

Scientists have documented the first-known instance of a "virgin birth" by a crocodile, which had been living in isolation for 16 years at Costa Rican zoo, according to a study published Wednesday. The female American crocodile laid 14 eggs in 2018 within her enclosure, a not uncommon phenomenon among captive reptiles. The more puzzling fact, however, came after three months of incubation when one egg was found to contain a fully formed stillborn baby crocodile.

(With inputs from agencies.)