Walking sharks may look like things directly from science fiction movies, however, they are actually real. Researchers have found a few species of sharks that can 'walk' on their fins. According to a new study, the shark species is the most recently evolved shark species on earth. The findings contradict the idea that sharks evolve slowly. Scientists have known for some time that sharks are capable of "walking" on land. However, while researching this known species, they found four species of sharks that have evolved the ability much more recently.
The walking' sharks have appeared in the waters off of Northern Australia. They are small in size and tend to stay in isolated places even do not travel very far. These sharks don't actually swim, but "walk" using their pectoral and pelvic fins. It allows them to gain more access to smaller food sources such as snails, crustaceans, and small fish. Experts attribute the rapid evolution of walking ability in individuals or small groups moving to a new area. Once they adopt the walking technique, offspring learn to walk from birth. Researchers hope that studying these sharks will help us to understand why some animals change and adapt over time while others stay the same.
The walking' sharks have appeared in the waters off of Northern Australia. They are small in size and tend to stay in isolated places even do not travel very far. These sharks don't actually swim, but "walk" using their pectoral and pelvic fins. It allows them to gain more access to smaller food sources such as snails, crustaceans, and small fish. Experts attribute the rapid evolution of walking ability in individuals or small groups moving to a new area. Once they adopt the walking technique, offspring learn to walk from birth. Researchers hope that studying these sharks will help us to understand why some animals change and adapt over time while others stay the same.
