Sea scientists startled by hybrid super-shark discovery

Staff Reporter

Scientists say two distinct shark species have interbred to spawn an unprecedented new kind of shark that is better suited to Earth's warming oceans.

Scientists say two separate shark species have been found to have interbred to form an unprecedented new species they say is better suited to coping with warmer oceans.



“This is evolution in action.”

The discovery was made during cataloguing work off Australia’s east coast when Morgan said genetic findings showed certain sharks to be one species when physically they looked to be another.

The Australian black-tip is slightly smaller than its common cousin and can only live in tropical waters, but its hybrid offspring have been found 2 000km down the coast, meaning it could be adapting to ocean temperatures.







“And in fact this may be happening in more species than these two.”—Sapa-AFP

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