A serrated knife in each jaw

Looking at this photograph of the mouth of a shark of the Dalatias licha species, also known by popular names like carocho, it is clear that Nature invented serrated knives long before humans learned to make them.

Possessing these tremendous serrated knives in its jaws, the Dalatias licha can cut the animals it attacks to pieces with great ease.

The evolution of shark jaws is a field of great interest.

One of the most recent investigations in this regard is carried out by the team led by Faviel A. López-Romero, from the University of Vienna in Austria.

These scientists have explored how the shape of shark jaws has changed over the course of evolution.

The conclusion they have reached is that, in the most common species of shark, the jaws have undergone a relatively small degree of anatomical transformation over millions of years.

(Photo: Manuel Staggl. CC BY SA)

The greatest degree of change has been experienced by shark species whose primary habitat is deeper under the sea.

The study is titled “Shark mandible evolution reveals patterns of trophic and habitat-mediated diversification”. And it has been published in the academic journal Communications Biology. (Fountain: NCYT by Amazings)