Rising ocean temperatures could affect sharks: they could get bigger

As incredible as it may seem, this phenomenon has been traced back to an ancient period of the planet's history.

There are many myths about sharks, some of which are false. However, we cannot ignore the fact that these creatures cause fear wherever they go, especially if we talk about the largest shark species in history. In this case, we will talk to you about the size, but about the how Sea temperature affects these marine animals.

Sharks grow in size with climate change

A recent An article published in the scientific journal Current Biology Makes us travel 93 million years agoup to a time Ocean temperatures rose Because of the presence Washing This increased carbon dioxide levels.

The greenhouse effect created from this CO2 peak increased the temperature of the oceans, causing some Shark species developed their front finsChanging them Fast animals And Changing their habitat From the depths to near-surface areas.

Years ago, according to The research was published in the scientific journal Paleontology and Evolutionary ScienceScientifically known as shark Cretaxyrina montelli It was big enough to swallow a pterodactyl. From their measurements, we were able to assess the evolution of their fins and their change in habitat. Philip Stearns, co-author of the study, said: EurekAlert is protected by a news distribution platform That:

The pectoral fins are an important structure, comparable to our arms. What we found when we reviewed the massive data set was that these fins changed shape as sharks expanded their habitat from the ocean floor to the open ocean.

As these fins have evolved, it seems that the energy required to move them is minimal, hence their Evolution It's a thing Using your resources wisely. And thanks to these fins they are too Can swim fast. Today, most sharks continue to live close to the ocean floor, although with the current increase in ocean temperatures, breathing may become more difficult for some species, forcing them to move to oxygenated areas.

It contains Cretaceous periodThe temperature In Sea surface reached 28ºCwhen Currently seen around 20ºC. We don't know for sure what will happen if temperatures continue to rise, but we do know that in the past these have led to the extinction of species and, like Cretoxyrrhina montelli, to the evolution of others. living on the planet. Will the same happen in the future?

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