4 New Walking Shark Species Discovered

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While that might sound like the stuff of horror films, researchers say that the foot-long fish, which have evolved to use their fins to walk on land or in shallow water, are actually adorable.

"They're incredibly cute little animals and are really more like a gecko walking around than a shark," Mark Erdmann, a coral reef ecologist at the California Academy of Sciences and vice president of the Asia-Pacific Field Division of Conservation International, told VICE.

The researchers used tissue samples taken from live sharks to determine that DNA linked the new shark species to the Hemiscyllium genus, according to Science Alert.

"With our molecular clock, we've been able to show that this group really only branched off from their nearest ancestor about nine million years ago and they've been actively radiating ever since," Erdmann told VICE. "Obviously in human terms, that still seems like a long time ago, but for sharks, and for speciation in general, that's actually very recent."

Source: https://www.ecowatch.com/walking-shark-species-2644887199.html?rebelltitem=4#rebelltitem4

Walking sharks, also called "epaulette" sharks for their spots that resemble the military decor, "walk" on their muscular fins to forage for small fish along shallow reefs and sea grass.

It's a behavior partially driven by changing sea levels and shifting landscapes, which ultimately influenced where most of the nine known species settled -- eastern Indonesia and neighboring islands, New Guinea and parts of Australia.

Source: https://www.ecowatch.com/walking-shark-species-2644887199.html

 

[Wixson 5,004]

Give them another 30 million years and we're gonna have a real great white headlining the Super Bowl. 

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1 minute ago, Wixson said:

Give them another 30 million years and we're gonna have a real great white headlining the Super Bowl. 

Katy is such a visionary.

[Miracle 14,068]

Why was I expecting a left shark kinda animals

 

[RenegAde 20,560]

Blue shark is that you 

[Glamourpuss 29,080]

This isn't what I imagined when I saw the words "walking shark". 

Needless to say, I'm very disappointed. 

[weed 79,087]

I love evolution  I wonder what caused them to develop little feetsies 

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1 minute ago, weed said:

I love evolution  I wonder what caused them to develop little feetsies 

From what I read

1) it's partially because they became isolated in a certain place and developed in a specific genetic path compared to their relatives

2) they had to adapt to a coral reef environment

3) it gives them an advantage in hunting

4) it can even related to the fact that sea levels are changing

[Mr Mirko 743]

Well, I guess the climate fits them good; 

[Buddy 5,686]

Aw they're so cute

[ice bear 1]

pokémon !

[Twitter 14]

Interesting. 

[GypsyPrincesss 615]

So basically since it’s a shark the species would’ve over time evolved their fins into legs, re-evolved fins and then re-evolved legs 

Edit: Wait no I’m thinking of whales 

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1 minute ago, GypsyPrincesss said:

So basically since it’s a shark the species would’ve over time evolved their fins into legs, re-evolved fins and then re-evolved legs 

I don't think this is how it works.

[REALITY 80,184]

Bitch, I saw "walking" and I literally thought these were sharks that came and walked on land  I was terrified