INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Researchers at a Florida university say a small but feisty species of carpet shark with an extraordinary ability to walk on land is evolving
to better survive warming seas and the climate crisis.The epaulette shark, commonly found on shallow reefs of Australia and New Guinea, can
walk for up to 30 meters on dry land using paddle shaped fins, and survive hypoxia & a deficiency of oxygen & for up to two hours.The
Florida Atlantic University (FAU) biologists, and their research partners in Australia, say these remarkable abilities enable the
reef-dwelling sharks to survive increasingly hostile environments as conditions change.&Such locomotor traits may not only be key to
survival but also may be related to their sustained physiological performance under challenging environmental conditions, including those
associated with climate change,& the study, published in the integrative and comparative biology journal, says.&Findings to date suggest
that this species has adaptations to tolerate some, but perhaps not all, of the challenging conditions predicted for the 21st
century.&Marianne Porter, professor of biomechanics at FAU&s department of biological sciences, said the sharks are able to slow and fast
walk, as well as swim, giving them an exceptional ability to cross land to reach more favorable conditions.The post Epaulette sharks can
walk on land for two hours, researchers say first appeared on Ariana News.
