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More Shark Species Warm-Blooded Than Previously Thought, Raising Concerns for Adaptation to Warming Seas

Study reveals even deep-water and slow-moving species like the smalltooth sand tiger shark exhibit warm-blooded traits, signaling that warm-bloodedness in sharks evolved earlier than thought; researchers worry the adaptation to climate change could pose a similar threat as that faced by extinct megalodon.

Overview

  • Many more species of shark, including the small-tooth sand tiger and basking shark, are warm-blooded than previously thought, according to a study led by Trinity College Dublin.
  • The characteristic of being warm-blooded, or 'regional endothermy', was once believed confined to apex predators like the megalodon and great white shark, but these findings suggest the trait evolved far earlier.
  • Researchers have linked the warm-blooded nature of these sharks to their survival capabilities in changing environments, which is particularly significant with acceleration of sea warming due to climate change.
  • For example, the extinction of the megalodon, considered a 'large regional endotherm', was believed to be because it could no longer meet the energy demands of being warm-blooded amidst environmental changes.
  • One of the study's findings was that the range of the smalltooth sand tiger shark, a warm-blooded species considered 'vulnerable', has shifted, potentially owing to warming waters, raising conservation concerns.