Category : Climate Change | Location : International | Posted on 2022-08-24 02:28:14
Researchers at a Florida university say a small but feisty species of carpet shark with an extraordinary ability to walk on land is evolving to better survive warming seas and the climate crisis.
The epaulette shark, commonly found on shallow reefs of Australia and New Guinea, can walk for up to 30 meters on dry land using paddle shaped fins, and survive hypoxia – a deficiency of oxygen – for up to two hours.
The Florida Atlantic University (FAU) biologists, and their research partners in Australia, say these remarkable abilities enable the reef-dwelling sharks to survive increasingly hostile environments as conditions change.
“Such locomotor traits may not only be key to survival but also may be related to their sustained physiological performance under challenging environmental conditions, including those associated with climate change,”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/23/epaulette-sharks-walk-on-land
