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 If
you saw a picture of a scalloped hammerhead and a Carolina hammerhead,
you’d probably think that they were the same species of shark. Although
they look nearly identical, scientists in South Carolina, in the United
States, have discovered that the Carolina hammerhead is genetically
different from the scalloped hammerhead: The Carolina hammerhead contains
10 fewer vertebrae.
Recently, fish expert Joe Quattro and scientists from the University
of South Carolina collected 80 young sharks that looked like scalloped
hammerheads. Then, they analyzed their DNA and discovered that some
of the young sharks were different from their scalloped cousins. They
found subtle differences, such as the new species being slightly smaller.
The scientists decided to label this new species of sharks Sphyrna
gilbert.
Sadly, during the past 30 years, the scalloped shark populations have
decreased by as much as 90 percent. Scientists have blamed this decline
to the increasing demand for shark fin, which is used in shark fin
soup, a popular dish in China. Experts have estimated that as many
as 100 million sharks are killed each year. |
Staff
reporter Jessica Kim
(jessicakim@timescore.co.kr)
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