Humans do not have everything in the world figured out and the fact that a new species of sharks that can walk got discovered recently proves just that.?
Marine and Freshwater Research journal published a study last week saying that the Hemiscylliidae genus of sharks ¡®walk¡¯ using their pectoral and pelvic fins to move across the ocean floor and live in coastal waters around northern Australia and the island of New Guinea.
The scientists say that the walking sharks also known as epaulette sharks do not really pose a threat to humans as they are about a meter long on average and feed on only small fish and invertebrates.
¡°Walking sharks present no threat to people but their ability to withstand low oxygen environments and walk on their fins gives them a remarkable edge over their prey of small crustaceans and molluscs,¡± in a statement Christine Dudgeon, the lead author of the study, and a researcher at Australia¡¯s University of Queensland said.?
Four new species of walking sharks have been discovered and now the total number of such species is nine. According to Mark Erdmann, a co-author of the study, and the vice president of Conservation International¡¯s Asia-Pacific marine division, these sharks are supposed to have started to evolve around 9 million years ago, which makes them the ¡°youngest¡± sharks on the planet.
¡°The discovery proves that modern sharks have remarkable evolutionary staying power and the ability to adapt to environmental changes,¡± CNN quoted him as saying.?
Well, now that we know these sharks are not a threat to humans, we can safely comment that they are adorable.?